Historical and Literary 
Outlines of the 



flDestament 





ROBERT ALLEN ARMSTRONG 



Historical and Literary 
Outlines of the 



<©fo {Testament 



With an Introduction in which are presented 

Discussions of Materials, Manuscripts, 

Versions, Etc. 




BY 



Robert Allen Armstrong 

Head of the English Department of the West 
Virginia University 



-J? 



6^ 



M 



UBBARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies deceived 

JUN 22 1908 



3LhSS<# XXC NO 



fOPY 8, 



Copyright, 1908 
By Robert Allen Armstrong 



1907 

ACME PUB. CO., PRINTERS, 
WUHuANTOW., W. VA. 



i 



Table of Contents 



INTRODUCTION. 

Books of the Old Testament. 

Their Origin iv 

Lost Books v 

Names vi 

The Canon vi 

Manuscripts viii 

Ancient Versions xii 

English Versions xiv 

The Apocrypha xvi 

The Targums xviii 

Verses and Chapters xix 

Why Study the Bible as Literature xxi 

Method of Studying the Bible xxxi 

OUTLINES OP OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY 1 

LITERARY OUTLINES. 

A Study of the Book of Job 2G 

The Book of Ruth 35 

Esther — A Drama of the Court 3G 

The Song of Songs 40 

The Book of Jonah 44 

Epic Story of the Desert Prophet 45 

The Prophet of Common Life 45 

THE LAWS OP MOSES 47 

The Decalogue 4 s 

Book of the Covenant * 48 

Deuteronomic Code [A 49 

The Priestly Code 50 

OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE. 

Syllabi of twenty-four lectures 53 



Preface 



This book is a class-room growth and was prepared pri- 
marily for the writer's own students. For more than ten years 
the author has been offering a course in the literature of the 
English Bible as a part of the yearly work of the English De- 
partment of West Virginia University, and the materials 
here presented have been gathered in the form of lectures, 
historical outlines, and literary syllabi, for these courses. The 
claim for the book is not that it is particularly original, but 
that the things it presents are put into such form as to be 
suggestive, practical, and interesting. There is far too little 
known of the rich treasures of law, history, poetry, song, and 
story, which the Bible holds in store for those who will 
patiently study it. If this little book shall lead even a few 
students into fuller knowledge and clearer appreciation of the 
marvelous literature of the Bible, its object will have been 
attained. 



The Books of the Old Testament 



THEIR ORIGIN 

The Bible has a natural as well as a supernatural history. 
It was written as thousands of other books are written, and 
preserved and transmitted as thousands of other books are 
preserved and transmitted. There are some good people who 
believe that the Bible originated in some way purely mirac- 
ulous. They think it w r as written in heaven, in English, di- 
vided into chapters and verses, with headlines and reference 
marks, and then brought to the earth by an angel. When- 
ever you make this sort of claim for a book you are doing 
most to discredit it. You are certain to convince sober-minded 
people that your book is spurious. A book that has no merit 
in itself and still would be received as a revelation from heaven 
is driven to adopt some such plan. For example, the Book 
of Mormon is said to have had such a miraculous origin. "The 
story is that an angel appeared to Joseph Smith and told him 
that at a certain place he would find a stone box and that in 
this box he would find a volume six inches thick, composed 
of thin gold plates, eight inches by seven, held together by 
three gold rings. He was told that these plates were covered 
with writing in the "Reformed Egyptian" tongue ; that he 
would be able to read and translate this ''Reformed Egyptian" 
language by the use of a pair of supernatural spectacles. 
Thousands of Mormons believe this story, and we think them 
very foolish for such credulity. Yet there are thousands of 
Christians who .believe things about the sacred Scriptures just 
as ridiculous. 

In the last half century a great amount of study has been 
devoted to the Scriptures and the conclusions are of immense 
importance. This study is an attempt to learn from the 
Scriptures themselves the truth about their origin and his- 
tory. It consists in a careful study of the language of the 



BIBLE STUDY. 



books, of the manners and customs referred to in them, of 
the historical facts mentioned; it compares part with part 
and book with book to discover agreements, and discrepan- 
cies, if they exist, that they may be reconciled. Xo other 
writings have ever been subjected to the close criticism and 
careful inspection that these have undergone. Most of those 
who have pushed these inquiries have done so in the belief 
that the truth is the safest thing in the world, and that the 
things that can not be shaken will remain after the whole 
truth has been told. 

The books of the Old Testament were of slow growth 
and give expression to the developing religious consciousness 
of the Hebrew race. The writing of the sixty-six books of the 
Old and Xew Testaments extended through a period of about 
sixteen hundred years. Among the people of the Hebrew 
race there appeared again and again men of lofty vision, men 
of inspiration, through whom messages of spiritual truth 
were given to their fellows and to the world. These mes- 
sages were embodied in the books of the Bible, and the books 
grew as the messages grew. In writing these books the in- 
spired authors made use of materials long since lost to the 
world. 



LOST BOOKS 



The Bible as we have it today represents the remains of a 
very wide literature. We need no other proof of this than 
references in the books which are now in the Bible. There 
are quotations from and references to at least sixteen other 
books which are now lost. Some of these books are — ''The 
Acts of Solomon," "The Chronicles of King David." "The 
6ook of Xathan the Prophet." "The Book of Gad the Seer," 
"The Book of Jasher." and "The Book of the Wars of the 
Lord." 



INTRODUCTION. 



NAMES 



The word "Bible" is not a biblical word. It was not used 
until about four hundred years after Christ; indeed the Scrip- 
tures were not named as a single book until the thirteenth 
century. The name "The Bible" seems to have come about 
in this way : In the Greek language, the name is stated in 
the plural form as "Ta Biblia;" which means "The Books." 
In the Latin language the Bible is often called "Biblia Sacra," 
which is plural again and means the "Sacred Books." When 
Greek and Latin were not understood and studied as they 
now are, some people took it for granted that "Biblia" was 
a word meaning one thing, that is, that it was singular num- 
ber, and so the title of "The Books" became in English "The 
Book," or "The Bible." 

The names "Old Testament" and "New Testament" are 
biblical words. At first the "Old Dispensation" was called 
the "Old Covenant," and the "New Dispensation," "The New 
Covenant." So the Greek-speaking Christians spoke of "The 
Books of the Old Covenant" and "The Books of the New 
Covenant." After a while they shortened the phrases and 
called the collections simply "The Old Covenant" and "The 
New Covenant." When the Latin-speaking Christians began 
to use the same terms, they translated the Greek word "Cove- 
nant" by the word "Testament ;" hence the names "Old Testa- 
ment" and "New Testament." 

The word "Apocrypha" is generally or popularly regarded 
as a singular noun, referring to one book of that name, where- 
as it is really a plural noun referring to all the fourteen sepa- 
rate books united under that title. 

the; canon 

The word "canon'' is a Greek word meaning literally a 
measuring rod ; it means in this connection an authoritative 
list or catalogue of the books which the churches receive as 
given by inspiration and as constituting for them the divine 
rule of faith and practice. It is an interesting study to follow 



BIBLE STUDY. 



out the history of the collection of the books of the Bible 
into the canon as we have it today. There is an old legend 
that the books of the Bible were sorted out in a miraculous 
way from a great number of similar writings. It is said that 
the scene of this miracle was the church of Nicaea, at the first 
Ecumenical Council in 325 A. D.. It is asserted that a varied 
assortment of Christian literature lay under the altar until 
all doubt about the authentic list of books was instantaneously 
ended by the genuine books leaping of their own accord upon 
the holy table, leaving uncanonical writings below. It is 
hardly expected that we should give credence to this report, 
but still we might be at a loss to tell the true story of the 
gathering of the books of the Bible. 

It is believed by the Jews that the thirty-nine books of 
the Old Testament, which they arranged as twenty-two, were 
collected and arranged by Ezra, Nehemiah, and their com- 
panions after the re-building of the Temple on the return 
from captivity. The Talmud says that the Hebrew canon 
was formed gradually by Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the Great 
Synagogue, a council composed of one hundred and twenty 
members, priests, Levites, doctors of the law, and other 
eminent representatives of the people. It is said that Nehe- 
miah was its first president and that it met at different times 
in the city of Jerusalem through a period of over one hun- 
dred years. 

The following is the arrangement of the books of the Old 
Testament according to the Jewish canon : 
Vol. I. The Law— The five books of Moses: Genesis, 

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. 
Vol. II. The Prophets: 

1. The Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Ruth. 1 and 
2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings. 

2. The Latter Prophets : 

a. Greater: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and 
Ezekiel. 

b. The Lesser Prophets (all in one book) : Hosea, 
Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habak- 
kuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Vol. III. The Holy Writings: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song 
of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel. Ezra and Nehe- 
miah, i and 2 Chronicles. 
As is explained more fully under "The Apocrypha," the 

Septuagint version of the Bible added a number of new books 
to the Old Testament. There are ten of these new books be- 
sides three additions to Daniel, and an additition of six chap- 
ters and part of a chapter to Esther. 

The Protestant church has always regarded the Apocry- 
phal books of inferior authority and has. therefore, rejected 
them from the sacred canon. The Protestant canon of the 
Old Testament consists of the following books in order: Gen- 
esis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 
Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chron- 
icles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Xehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Pro- 
verbs. Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, La- 
mentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hos v ea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, 
Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zech- 
ariah, Malachi. 

The Roman church accepts the canon established by a 
decree of the Council of Trent (1546) and reaffirmed by the 
Vatican Council of 1870. There are the following differences 
between this list and the Protestant canon : Esther contains 
six additional chapters and part of a chapter ; Daniel contains 
the Song of the Three Holy Children, Bel and the Dragon, 
and the Story of Susanna ; the new books are. The Wisdom 
of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, 1 Maccabees and 2 Mac- 
cabees. 



maxuscrpits 



The oldest copies of the Bible are not in printed but in 
manuscript form. This is necessarily the case because print- 
ing was not invented until the fifteenth century. We are told 
that there are over one thousand acknowledged manuscripts 
of the Bible in existence, and that these are variously dated 
from 325 A. D. to the thirteenth century. They are distrib- 



BIBLE STUDY. 



u ted chiefly among the great libraries throughout the civilized 
world : two hundred fifty are found in England, three hundred 
twenty in Italy, two hundred fifty in France, ninety in Ger- 
man v and Austria, seventy in Spain, and the rest in Switzer- 
lad, Holland. Denmark and Sweden. Of these about thirty 
only contain all the books of the Old and Xew Testaments. 
It may be asked why there are not manuscripts of a more 
ancient date and why the Hebrew manuscripts of the Old 
Testament are much more modern than the Greek and Latin 
manuscripts. These are questions that can not be very satis- 
factorily answered. We may suppose that there was frequent 
copying and correcting of all these manuscripts, and that 
when a corrected text had been given to the world, that little 
care was taken of the old manuscript ; indeed it is said that it 
was customary to destroy the old Hebrew manuscripts after 
they had been copied. 

Four of these manuscripts are very interesting, and im- 
portant because they are so very ancient. All of these origin- 
ally contained the entire Greek Bible of the Old and New Tes- 
taments. They are called: (i) The Vatican manuscript; 
(2) The Alexandrian manuscript: (3) The Ephraem manu- 
script : and (4) The Sinaitic manuscript. 

The Vatican manuscript was long the most important 
one known. It has been in the Vatican library for about 500 
years. Before this it belonged to a Greek priest Bessarion. 
This is the oldest of all the manuscripts, and by many scholars 
is assigned to the year 325 A. D. It has been kept with most 
jealous care by the Pope. It was not until 1866 that a com- 
plete copy of it was given to the world. After many attempts 
and many repulses Dr. Tischendorf, a German scholar, was 
allowed to study this jealously guarded manuscript and in 
1867 he published a copy of it in the common Greek type. 
Thus this buried treasure became the property of the world. 

The Alexandrian manuscript was found in Egypt, and 
is now kept in the British Museum. It was presented to 
Charles I in 1628 by Cyrillus Lucaris, the Patriarch of Con- 
stantinople, who brought it from Alexandria in Egypt where 
Cyrillus formerly had held the same office. It is in four vol- 
umes, three of which contain the Old Testament in the Greek 



INTRODUCTION. 



version and the fourth contains the New Testament. Tin- 
Patriarch of Constantinople testified that the report concern- 
ing it was that it had been copied by Thecla, a Christian lady, 
of the nobility, in the 4th century A. D. Nearly all the critics 
agree that the manuscript is as old as the 5th century. 

The Ephraem manuscript is named from Ephraem. the 
Syrian saint of the 4th century. It has a most interesting 
history. It is a palimpsest manuscript. A palimpsest is a 
parchment which has been written upon twice, the first writ- 
ing having been erased to make place for the second. In this 
case the leaves were taken promiscuously without regard to 
their original order and sewed together as if they were blanks, 
and the sermons of Ephraem written upon them. In the latter 
part of the 17th century, Pierre Allix, a French theologian, 
observed the older writing under the works of Ephraem. It 
was very illegible, but a chemical preparation applied in 1834 
revivified it sufficiently to be read. In 1842, Dr. Tischendorf 
printed an edition of it, page for page and line for line. This 
manuscript contains 209 leaves on which are found parts of 
the Old Testament and about two-thirds of the New Testa- 
ment. 

The most interesting of all is the Sinaitic manuscript. The 
story of its finding is a veritable romance. It was discovered 
in 1859 by Dr. Tischendorf, the German scholar before men- 
tioned, in the Convent of St. Catherine at the foot of Mt. Sinai. 
In 1844, Dr. Tischendorf was traveling in the East in search 
or ancient documents and when he was examining the old 
manuscripts of the library of this convent, his eye fell upon 
a large basketful of old parchments standing on the floor, 
apparently of no value and waiting only to be used as fire 
kindling. When he had turned them over, he learned to his 
great surprise and delight that they were sheets of a most 
ancient copy of the Septuagint. He was allowed to take 
forty sheets but when he unwarily expressed his delight, he 
was denied any more. As he grew persistent, the monks grew 
stubborn in their refusal. It became known in Europe that 
he had made an important discovery, and the English govern- 
ment sent out experts to search the East for lost documents. 



xii BIBLE STUDY. 

But the searchers came back empty-handed. In 1853, Dr. 
Teschendorf visited the old convent, but no traces of the old 
manuscripts could be found. He did not despair, but in 1859 
started again to the convent in the desert. He arrived, but 
his errand seemed in vain and he was about to leave for home ; 
but the evening before his departure he walked about the 
grounds with the steward of the convent and went with him 
into his cell to partake of some refreshments. When they 
were alone the monk^said, "I, too, have read a copy of that 
Septuagint," and as he. spoke, he placed in the hands of the 
anxious searcher a bulky volume wrapped in red cloth. Im- 
mediately the great scholar knew his wish was fulfilled, for 
therein he found the fragments he had seen in the basket 
fifteen years before, with other parts of the Old Testament, 
the whole of the New Testament and other manuscripts of 
minor importance. He was careful to restrain his joy this 
time. He was permitted to take the volume to his own room 
where he declares he literally danced for joy ; and for several 
nights afterward he felt that it would be wickedness to sleep. 
After much negotiation the great manuscript was given into 
the hands of the Emperor of Russia, the great patron of the 
Greek Church, and was deposited in the library of St. Peters- 
burg, and in due time Dr. Tischendorf, with the aid of assist- 
ants made an edition of it in facsimile, and in 1862 by the 
munificience of the Emperor of Russia, a copy of it was sent 
to every great institution and great library throughout the 
world. 

The names and order of the books in the Septuagint are 
as follows : Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuter- 
onomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 2 Kings 
(2 Samuel) 3 Kings (1 Kings), 4 Kings (2 Kings), 1 Chron- 
icles, 2 Chronicles, 1 Esdras, 2. Esdras, (Ezra), Nehemiah, 
Tobit, Judith, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, 
Song of Solomon, W-isdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Hosea, 
Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zep- 
haniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, 
Lamentations, Epistle of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, 1 Macca- 
bees, 2 Maccabees, 3 Maccabees — forty-nine books. 



INTRODUCTION. 



ANCIENT VERSIONS 



The Bible has been translated into more than four hun- 
dred languages and dialects, but there are a few ancient ver- 
sions which are peculiarly valuable because the student must 
look to them as furnishing the authentic text for his modern 
version in whatever language it ma}- be. The principal an- 
cient versions are the Septuagint, the Syriac Peshito, the Old 
Latin, and the Latin Vulgate. The Greek version, called the 
Septuagint. is worthy of special notice for several reasons: 
In it are the oldest existing copies of the Scriptures or 
any part of them in any language: it exerted the 
largest influence on the language and style of the New Testa- 
ment ; it was extensively used in the time of Christ not only 
in Egypt where it originated, and in the Roman provinces 
generally, but also in Palestine; it is notable, too, because the 
quotations from the Old Testament found in the. New Testa- 
ment, are more commonly from this version than from the 
Hebrew version. 

The Jewish account of its origin is, that Ptolemy Phila- 
delphia, who reigned B. C. 285-247, at the suggestion 
of his librarian, Demetrius Phalereus, sent an embassy, with 
costly gifts, to Eleazer the high priest at Jerusalem, request- 
ing him to send seventy-two chosen men with a copy of the 
Jewish law that it might be translated into the Greek language 
and laid up in the royal library at Alexandria: Eleazar ac- 
cordingly selected six elders from each of the twelve tribes 
to do this work. They went to Alexandria taking with them 
a copy of the law written, it is said, on parchments in letters 
of gold. These chosen men were received by the king with 
high honors, and lodged in a palace on an island, supposed 
to be the Island of Pharos, in the harbor of Alexandria, where 
they completed their work in seventy-two days, and were sent 
home with munificent gifts. There is a legend that they were 
shut up in seventy-two separate cells where they had no com- 
munication with each other, and yet at the end of the seventy- 
two days when their work was compared it was found that 
their seventy-two versions agreed with each other word for 



BIBLE STUDY. 



word. This seems clearly a legend, but Justin Martyr says 
that he saw the cells in which the versions were made. 

The Syrian Peshito is the oldest version made by Chris- 
tians from the original Hebrew. The word "Peshito*' signi- 
fies "simple," indicating that it gives the simple meaning of 
the original without paraphrastic or allegorical additions. 
This was the standard version of the Syriac Christians, being 
used alike by all parties : a fact which is naturally explained 
by its high antiquity. Scholars say that it dates not far from 
the close of the second century. 

The Old Latin or Itala version is probably more ancient 
than the Syriac. It originated in Africa in the second cen- 
tury and was used by the early Latin fathers. It has been 
preserved only in fragments so far as is now known, and its 
full character and value are therefore uncertain. It was a 
translation of the Septuagint version. 

The last of these ancient versions to be considered, is the 
Latin Vulgate. The word "Vulgate" means ''common" or 
"current." About 383 A. D., Jerome at the solicitation of 
Damasus, Bishop of Rome, undertook the great task of revis- 
ing the Old Testament by a comparison with the original 
Greek. He revised the New Testament about 385 and then 
began his work on the Old Testament. He was con- 
vinced that there should be a new translation of the 
Old Testament from the original Hebrew. He was 
himself acquainted with the Hebrew language and 
availed himself also of the help of many Jewish scholars. 
This was completed in the y *ar 405 A. D. He did not venture 
to make a new version of Jie Psalms because the Itala ver- 
sion was in such constant use in the church services, and its 
phraseology had become so familiar to the worshippers that 
he knew that a new version would not be received. Jerome's 
translation was not at first accepted by the church, but it 
gradually made its way and about 200 years after his death 
it became the universally received version of the church. In 
1546. it was declared the authorized version of the Roman 
church and has remained so to the present day. 



INTRODUCTION. 



ENGLISH VERSIONS 



The Bible was not translated into the English tongue all 
at once. It grew slowly following closely the course alike 
of religious and intellectual life. Its story begins with Caed- 
mon of Whitby, on the northeastern coast of England, in the 
year 670. Here the English Bible and English poetry both 
took their rise. Caedmon, in his rude rhyme sang the song 
of Genesis and Exodus, and of the Gospel. The next trans- 
lating W as done by the Venerable Bede, the father of English 
learning. At the monastery of J arrow he translated different 
parts of the Bible and the last work that he did was a trans- 
lation of the Gospel of John. King Alfred the Great was the 
third translator. While battling with the Danes and giving 
laws to his people, he yet found time to translate many books. 
With a band of helpers he translated the Ten Commandments, 
the Lord's Prayer, the 20th, 21st and 22nd chapters of Exodus, 
and parts of the Psalms, and when he died was engaged in 
completing the translation of the Psalms. 

The first great monument of real English literature is 
Wycliffe's Bible, published in 1383. This translation has in- 
fluenced every succeeding English translation of the Bible 
to the present day. In 1526, the mantle of Wycliffe fell on 
William Tyndale, later the martyred hero. He published his 
translation of the New Testament in that year. On account 
of his efforts to put the Bible in the hands of the common 
people, he was forced to flee from England, but from his place 
of refuge on the continent, he poured Testaments into Eng- 
land in a flood ; sometimes they were packed in cases, some- 
times they were hidden in barrels, in bales of cloth or in sacks 
of flour. By order of Cardinal Wolsey these books w r ere 
bought up and destroyed, but as fast as they w r ere bought 
up and burned at St. Paul's Cross, the money which was paid 
for them as they were seized, was used to run the printing 
presses of Tyndale, which turned out two or three copies of 
the New Testament for every one that the authorities de- 
stroyed. In 1530, he published his translation of the Penta- 
teuch, and in 1534 he published a revision of the New Testa- 



BIBLE STUDY. 



ment of 1526. In 1536, he was martyred for bis zeal and per- 
sistence in the work of giving the Bible to the people in their 
own language. 

From 1526 for three quarters of a century there were 
numerous versions of the Bible published in England. Among 
these were: Miles Coverdale's Bible, 1535; Matthew's Bible, 
1537 ; The Great Bible, 1540; the Geneva New Testament, 
1557; the Geneva Bible, 1560; the Bishops' Bible, 1568; the 
Rheirns' New Testament, 1582 ; and the Douay Bible, 1609; 
these last two were translations made by the Roman church. 

The Great Bible has an abiding memorial in the Psalter 
of the English Prayer Book. When the language of the serv- 
ices in the English churches was changed from Latin to the 
vernacular after the Reformation, the scripture readings were 
taken from the Great Bible. Eater when King James's Bible 
gained general acceptance, many of the scripture readings of 
the Prayer Book followed its text, but the Psalms were re- 
tained in the old form. So that todav the Psalms found in 
the English Prayer Book do not agree in form with the Au- 
thorized Version ; a better known illustration is found in the 
"debts" and "trespasses" in the Lord's Prayer. The English 
Prayer Book Psalter has had a most interesting history. It 
was taken from the Great Bible, as has been said, which 
took it from the "Sarum L T se," a liturgy prepared by the 
Bishop of Sarum about 1085 ; he made use of the Gallican 
Psalter, which was compiled at Bethlehem by Jerome in the 
year 389. Another notable thing about the Great Bible was 
that there were omitted from it all controversial notes, such 
as had made former translations so strongly partisan. 

In 161 1 what was known as the Authorized Version was 
completed. It was translated and published under the direc- 
tion of King James I. When James came to the throne he 
found the Geneva Bible supported by the people at large, the 
Bishops' Bible, supported by ecclesiastical authority, and in 
order to harmonize the factions he called together fifty-four 
learned men from both the High Church and the Independent 
Church to undertake a new translation. This version is the 
one that has been accepted by all the Protesant churches up 



INTRODUCTION. 



to the time of the translation of the Revised Version, which 
was undertaken in 1870. Materials were then at hand which 
had been entirely hidden to the scholars of King James's day. 
The four oldest manuscripts of the Bible, the Ephraem, the 
Sinaitic, the Vatican, and the Alexandrian, could now be con- 
sulted. In 1 881, the New Testament was finished and pub- 
lished to the world, and the Old Testament was completed 
in 1885. 

While the exactness and clearness of the translation and 
the correctness of the text of the Revised Version are far 
superior to those of King James's version, it will be many 
years before it can so completely win the hearts of the peo- 
ple as to take the place of the old version. It is doubtful 
whether in beauty of words, pleasure of rhythm, and felicity of 
phrase it can rival the Authorized Version. Our ears must 
have time to become accustomed to its new cadences. Still 
while we prefer the literary beauty of King James's version, 
it is to be hoped that none of us will show the ignorance of 
the youthful English clergyman who objected to the new r ver- 
sion in the words : "I much prefer the Authorized Version. 
A version that w r as good enough for St. Paul is good enough 
for me." 



THE APOCRYPHA 



A list of the books of the Old Testament found in the 
Septuagint version of the Bible has been given above. This 
version includes a number of books and parts of books not 
found in the Hebrew versions of the Old Testament. They 
are called the Apocrypha. The word "Apocrypha" means 
"hidden," or "secret ;" why the name was applied to these so- 
called "spurious" books is not clear. 

The Septuagint version is a translation made into the 
Greek from Hebrew, made by Jews in Alexandria, about 275 
}^ears B. C. This version is the one that was generally in use 
among the early Christians since they w r ere not familiar with 
the Hebrew language, and hence were not familiar with the 



BIBLE STUDY. 



Hebrew version of- the Old Testament. So, in later years 
when the Septuagint and Hebrew versions were compared, 
it was found that many books and parts of books had been, 
added to the Septuagint or Greek version. Then followed a 
discussion, lasting for centuries, to determine the value and 
status of these additional books. There have been numerous 
and conflicting pronouncements regarding them from church 
Fathers and Councils. Jerome refused to accept any books 
as authoritative except those found in the Hebrew version, 
although he named some of the books of the Apocrypha as 
worthy of being read "for the edification of the people though 
not for authority in establishing church doctrines." 

The Council of Hippo A: D. 393, at which Augustine was 
present, called the books in dispute, "ecclesiastical books," 
and included them in the catalogue of the sacred books ; and 
from that day to the time of the Reformation, the extent of 
the Old Testament canon was regarded as an open question. 
In 1534 ,when Luther published his complete Bible, he placed 
the disputed books between the Old and New Testaments 
and called them "Apocrypha, that is, books which are not to 
be considered equal to Holy Scripture, and yet are useful and 
good to be read." The English Protestant translators soon 
followed the example of Luther and no longer published the 
Bible with these books distributed among the other books, 
but the Council of Trent (1546), as if to rebuke the reform- 
ers, declared all the Apocryphal books "sacred and canonical," 
except the third and fourth books of Esdras and "The Prayer 
of Manasses." The Vatican Council of 1870 reaffirmed this 
decree of the Council of Trent. Thus the Roman church 
accepts eleven of the Apocrypha as equal in authority to the 
thirty-nine books of the Hebrew Old Testament, which are 
accepted by the Protestant church. 

The English versions of the Bible contained the fourteen 
Apocryphal books, placed between the Old Testament and 
New Testament, until the year 1827. In that year the British 
and Foreign Bible Society dropped these books out of their 
volumes and have since published them only in separate 
volumes. 

Following is a list of the fourteen Apocryphal books and 



INTRODUCTION. xix 

parts of books: i Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Additional 
Parts of Esther, Wisdom, Ecclesiastictis, Baruch with the 
Epistle of Jeremiah, The Song of the Three Holy Children. 
The Story of Susanna, The Idol Bel and the Dragon, The 
Prayer of Manasses, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees. 



THE TARGUMS 



We know that at the time of Christ the Jews did not 
speak Hebrew. When they lost the use of their native lang- 
uage, is a disputed point, but we know from Nehemiah VIII 
that after their return from captivity the law in Hebrew had 
to be interpreted to them in their vernacular, the Aramaic : 
"And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congrega- 
tion both of men and women. * * * And he read therein 
before the street that was before the water gate from morning 
until mid-day. * * * So they read in the book in the law 
of God, distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to un- 
derstand the reading." The word Targum means "interpre- 
tation" and refers to the translations, or paraphrases, of the 
law which were made by the priests and scribes when they 
read it to the people. Naturally these interpretations wmild 
take on a more or less fixed form as the scribes and priests 
repeated them from time to time ; and yet it was forbidden to 
reduce them to writing. In time, however, they were written 
down and called the "Targums." They are free paraphrases 
and were never intended to be exact translations of the orig- 
inal- texts. They are supposed to be the work of different au- 
thors, collected and revised by one or more persons. No one 
of them extends to the whole of the Old Testament. 



THE) TALMUD 



The Talmud is a large collection of writings containing 
a full account of the civil and religious laws of the Jews. 
These writings are so voluminous that the phrase "the ocean 
of the Talmud," is often used. The Pharisees declared that 



BIBLE STUDY. 



besides the written law there was an oral law to comment 
upon and explain the written law. The Mishna says, "Moses 
received the (oral) law from Sinai and delivered it to Joshua, 
and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and 
the prophets to the men of the Great Synagogue." 

This oral law with the almost endless commentaries on 
it constitutes the Talmud. It is divided into two parts, the 
Mishna and the Gemara, which stand in the relation to one 
another of text and commentary. The Mishna was unwrit- 
ten until about the first or second century A. D. The writ- 
ing down of the Mishna caused a schism among the Jews 
that has not been healed to this day ; the Karaites reject the 
entire written Talmud and think it a great sin to write it 



down. 



VERSES AND CHAPTERS 

The division of the poetical books and passages in the 
Old Testament into separate lines is very ancient, if not prim- 
itive. It is found in the poetical passages in the Taw and the 
historical books and in the three books, Job, The Psalms, and 
Proverbs, which are the only books reckoned poetical by the 
Hebrews. The division of the whole of the Old Testament 
into verses is the work of Jewish scholars. It existed in its 
completeness in the ninth century and must have had its 
origin much earlier from the necessity of its convenience in 
the public reading and interpretation of the books in the 
synagogue service. These verses, however, are not like the 
verses in the English version. In the Hebrew text the verses 
are not paragraphed and numbered, but are separated by two 
points somewhat like a colon. 

The verse divisions as found in the English versions to- 
day were first made by Robert Stephens in his Greek Testa- 
ment of 1 55 1, and then in his Latin Bible of 1556. Before 
the modern division into verses was adopted, there was in 
the early printed Bibles in many cases a series of letters of 
the alphabet on the margin of each page, roughly dividing 



INTRODUCTION. 



the text into sections. The letters commenced a new scries 
with each chapter and continued through the chapter in al- 
phabetical order, somewhat after the manner of a modern 
paragraph Bible, though the letters were placed without any 
regard to the commencement of paragraphs. These were 
used, of course, for convenience of reference. The first Eng- 
lish version to use the paragraph and numbered verses was 
the Genevan New Testament of 1557; the same verse division 
was extended to the complete Genevan Bible 'of 1560. 

The present division into chapters. is much later than the 
verse divisions, and is the work of Christian scholars. By 
some it is attributed to Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Can- 
terbury, who died 1227; by others to Cardinal Hugo de St. 
Cher of the same century. The Jews transferred it from the 
Latin Vulgate to the Hebrew text. 



Why Study the Bible as Literature 



George Eliot makes Adam Bede say, "I prefer to read 
the Apocrypha rather than the Bible, for in reading the 
Apocrypha, I can use my own reason.'' There are many peo- 
ple who do not look upon the Bible as a readable book; some 
because they think it irreverent to treat it as other literature, 
and others because they think it very dull reading. Both 
classes are wrong; the Bible is no fetich, neither does it lack 
literary interest. In many respects it is like other books and 
may be measured by the same literary standards. True, it 
has for us "apples of gold in baskets of silver," but it is not 
sacrilegious for us to examine the "baskets of silver." It is, 
indeed a book of literary treasures. It is full of marvelous 
incidents and engaging history, with sunny pictures of old 
world scenery, and charming and pathetic anecdotes of patri- 
archal times. Any one who wishes literature having unity, 
variety, beauty, charm, strength and interest, can find it 
in this volume of sixty-six books. He will there find law, 
folk-lore, tradition, official records, historical narrative, epic 
poetry, dramatic poetry, lyric poetry, proverbial philosophy, 
patriotic addresses, religious addresses, parables, prayers, pro- 
phecies, biographies, theology, circular letters, private letters, 
riddles, fables, dream literature, love songs, patriotic songs, 
and songs of praise. Here is a body of prose and poetry un- 
equaled in any book or library of books in the world. 

There are many reasons why it should be studied as other 
masterpieces are studied: 

i. A close and critical study will make its message 
clearer. 

2. Such study will be profitable because it is a great 
storehouse of good English. 

3. Its study is important because in our everyday speech 
and in our secular literature there are multitudes of words 



INTRODUCTION. xxiii 

and phrases drawn from the Bible, whose full meaning and 
force are understood only by those familiar with the original 
sources. , 

4. Its stud}- is worth while because it is a literature of 
power. It has shaped the thought and the morals of the best 
nations of the world. 

5. It is profitable to study it because in it are found 
the best examples and forms of literature. 

r. A study of the Bible as literature will aid in under- 
standing its message. Language does not give forth its mean- 
ing with unvarying exactness. It is never easy to know just 
how much meaning or how little a writer intends to convey 
by a word or a phrase. One must have abundant knowledge 
of the way in which men have thought and spoken, a large 
experience in interpreting the thoughts and feelings of men 
from their words, who can be at all sure that he is getting 
what an author intended he should get. In secular literature 
no one is bold enough to set himself up as an interpreter of 
masterpieces unless he brings to this interpretation a mind 
trained to understand and appreciate the force of words and 
literary forms and a method of study and interpretation which 
has stood the test of years of application. 

Of course there are things about this great book that 
are so simple that even a child can understand and appreciate 
them ; but there are things profound enough to puzzle the 
philosopher and these the reader can not hope to understand 
unless he has prepared himself for the task of weighing and 
considering. The man of little experience in interpreting 
men's thoughts and feelings from their written w r ords must 
fail to get at the heart of man}' a passage. He should be able 
to read between the lines, to discern where he ought to rest 
his full weight and press out the fullest meaning and where 
he ought to pass lightly. The man of no range in his reading 
must be inclined inevitably to treat all parts alike, to make 
one word just as emphatic, just as literal, as another. 

The truths of the Bible are offered to us in the same 
words, phrases, and literary forms that are used in all other 
literature ; it ought to require no argument to prove that if 



BIBLE STUDY. 



the student is to get all that is bound up in these words, 
phrases, and forms, he should make diligent use of all his 
secular knowledge, of all his culture, of all his best methods 
of getting at the meaning and force of language, and of all 
his trained powers of interpreting literature. 

2. The Bible is a great storehouse of good English. 

Dr. Cook, of Yale, says: 

"From Caedmon's time to the present the influence of Bible dic- 
tion upon English speech has been virtually uninterrupted. The Bible 
has been an active force in English literature for over twelve hundred 
years, and during the whole period it has been moulding the diction 
of representative thinkers and literary artists." 

S. T. Coleridge says : 

"Intense study of the Bible will keep any writer from being vulgar 
in point of style." 

John Ruskin, who was doubtless the greatest master of 
pure idiomatic, vigorous and eloquent English prose that the 
last century produced, says that his mother required him in 
childhood to commit to memory and repeat to her over and 
over again many passages of the Bible. We need not seek 
further for the secret of his admirable diction and perfect com- 
mand of English phraseology. 

Mr. Venable has these words to say about Bunyairs Pil- 
grim's Progress : 

"The great charm of the 'Pilgrim's Progress' is the purity, the 
homeliness of its vernacular. Few were ever such complete masters 
of their 'sweet mother tongue' in its native vigor as Bunyan. The 
book stands unrivaled as a model of our English speech, plain but 
never vulgar, full of metaphor, but never obscure, always intelligible, 
always forcible, going straight to the point in the fewest and simplest 
words. The reason of this excellence is evident. Bunyan's English 
is the English of the Bible. By constant perusal his mind was thor- 
oughly steeped in Holy Scriptures; he thought its thoughts, spoke its 
words, adopted its images." 

Charles Dudley Warner in speaking of the educational 
and culture value of the Bible says : 

"Wholly apart from its religious or from its ethical value, the 
Bible is the one book that no intelligent person who wishes to 
come into contact with the world of thought and to share the ideas of 
the great minds of the Christian era can afford to be ignorant of. 
All modern literature and all art are permeated with it. There is 
scarcely a great work in the language that can be fully understood and 



INTRODUCTION. xxv 



enjoyed without this knowledge, so full is it of allusions and illustra- 
tions from the Bible. This is true of fiction, of poetry, of economic 
and philosophic works, and also of the scientific and even agnostic- 
treatises. It is not at all a question of religion, or theology, or of 
dogma; it is a question of general intelligence. A boy or girl at col- 
lege in the presence of the works set for either to master, without a 
fair knowledge of the Bible is an ignoramus, and is disadvantaged 
accordingly. It is in itself almost a liberal education, as many great 
masters in literature have testified. It has so entered into law, liter- 
ature, thought, the whole modern life of the Christian world, that 
ignorance of it is a most serious disadvantage to the student." 

Saintsbury, in his "History of Elizabethan Literature," 
says : 

"But great as are Bacon and Raleigh, they can not approach, as 
writers of prose, the company of scholarly divines who produced what 
is probably the greatest prose work in any language — the Authorized 
Version of the Bible in English. Now that there is at any rate some 
fear of this masterpiece ceasing to be what it has been for three cen- 
turies — the school and training ground of every man and woman of 
English speech in the noblest use of the English tongue — every one 
who values his mother tongue is more especially bound to put on record 
his own allegiance to it." 

3. "It is woven into the literature of the scholar and 
colors the talk of the street." A familiar acquaintance with 
the words, phrases, stories, and characters of the Bible is 
valuable because our everyday speech and our secular litera- 
ture have been enriched by the use of and by allusions to 
them. There are in our secular literature multitudes of allu- 
sions to the Bible. Again and again does a writer take ad- 
vantage of the associations which cluster about a Bible phrase 
or incident and by a simple touch bring up in the mind of 
the understanding reader all the circumstances and sentiments 
connected with the original: Indeed no one who lays claim to 
any degree of culture can be ignorant of these incidents, 
phrases and characters. They have been assimilated into the 
common speech. The most illiterate man understands after 
a fashion, the phrases "The widow's mite," "a Judas kiss." 
"the flesh-pots of Egypt," "a still small voice," "a Jehu," "a 
perfect Babel," "a Nimrod," "bread upon the waters," /'a 
Daniel come to judgment," "a Solomon" and "a Delilah." 

As has been said, even one who is ignorant of the Bible 
will have little difficulty in getting a general idea of the mean- 



BIBLE STUDY. 



ing of these expressions, but to those who are familiar with 
the origin and setting of these terms, they have a vigor and 
significance which others can not at all appreciate. 

All our poets have enriched their pages with thoughts and 
images from this wonderful literary storehouse. If one 
wishes to know how frequently Tennyson drew out of this in- 
exhaustible mine treasures both new and old. let him examine 
the appendix to Dr. Henry Van Dyke's "Study of Tennyson;" 
he will find listed there more than two hundred references. 
Among these are the phrases : 

"As manna in my wilderness," "Pharaoh's darkness," "Ruth amid 
the fields of corn," "Stiff as Lot's wife," "I have flung thee pearls and 
find thee swine," "And marked me even as Cain," "The church on 
Peter's rock," "A whole Peter's sheet," "One was the Tishbite whom 
the ravens fed," "Who can call him friend that dips in the same dish?" 

From Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes are selected the fol- 
lowing allusions, a few from many that might be cited : 

"We, too, who laugh at Israel's golden calf;" "A cloud by day, 
by night a pillared flame;" 

"Mountains are cleft before you 

As the sea before the tribes of Israel's wandering sons;" 
"He who prayed the prayer of all mankind;" "Why did the choir 
of angels sing for joy?" "I thought of Judas and his bribe;" "They 
who gathered manna every morn." 

"When Moab's daughter homeless and forlorn, 
Found Boaz slumbering by his heaps of corn." 

The space of many chapters would be required to set 
forth Shakespeare's indebtedness to the Bible. The following 
are some of the most familiar allusions: 

"Good name in man or woman, dear my lord, 
Is the immediate jewel of their souls." 

"You found his mote; the King your mote did see; 
But I a beam do find in each of thee." 

"It is hard to come as for a camel 
To thread the postern of a needle's eye." 

"Samson, master, was a man of good carriage, great carriage; for 
he carried the town gates on his back like a porter." 

"I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir. I have not much skill in 
grass." 



INTRODUCTION. xxvii 

By the use of these allusions the poet may not only give 
completeness to his thought, force to his truth, and vividness 
to his imagery, but he may add to his verse the inimitable 
glory of lines above his power. He may write "A little lower 
than angels" — and at once we hear added to the music of his 
lines, 

"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? 

And the Son of man that thou visitest him? 

For thou hast made him a little lower than angels, 

And crowned him with glory and honor." 

The poet speaks the phrase "Solomon-shaming flowers,'' 
and we at once hear : 

"Consider the lilies how they grow; they toil not, neither do they 
spin; and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not 
arrayed like one of these." 

4. The study of the literature of the Bible is w r orth while 
because it is a literature of power; it has shaped the thought 
and morals of the Christian world. 

DeOuincey divided literature into two classes, the litera- 
ture of knowledge and the literature of power. The Bible 
belongs peculiarly to the literature of power. We know that 
it is the most powerful book that ever spoke to man. The 
literature of power is always the great literature ; it is the 
only literature that has an unending lease of life. The litera- 
ture of knowledge will live only till some one else embodies 
the old facts in a partially new form. Literature of power 
can never become obsolete because it deals with things etern- 
ally true ; and the deeper and truer the message of a book, 
the more inevitable will be the form in which this message 
will state itself. The literature of the Bible is so surcharged 
with power that virtue goes out of it whenever it touches 
the people. This virtue influences their thoughts, forms their 
governments, frames their laws, shapes their morals, moulds 
their characters and fashions their lives. 

Theodore Parker, a Unitarian minister of Boston said : 
"This collection of books has taken such a hold on the world as no 
other. The literature of Greece, which goes up like incense from that 
land of temples and heroic deeds, has not half the influence of this 
book, from a nation alike despised in ancient and modern times." 



BIBLE STUDY. 



Matthew Arnold, poet and critic, and profound student 
of the Bible, although he was not orthodox in his religious be- 
liefs, said : 

"As well imagine a man with a sense for sculpture not cultivating 
it by the help of Homer and Shakespeare, as a man with a sense for 
conduct not cultivating it by the help of the Bible." 

The great German poet Goethe said: 

"Let culture and science go on advancing and the mind progress 
as it may, it will never go beyond the elevation and moral culture 
of Christianity as it glistens and shines forth in the Gospels. - ' 

Coleridge, poet, philosopher and theologian, wrote : 

"For more than a thousand years the Bible collectively taken has 
gone hand in hand with civilization, science, law, — in short, with the 
moral and intellectual cultivation of the species, always supporting 
and often leading the way." 

Judge Blackstone in his famous Commentaries on the 
laws of England says : 

"The Bible has always been regarded as a part of the common 
law of England." 

Mr. W. B. Leigh, a famous Virginia lawyer, wrote : 

"I advise every man to read his Bible. I speak of it here as a 
book which it behooves a lawyer to make himself fairly acquainted 
with. It is the code of ethics of every Christian country on the globe, 
and tends, above all other books, to elucidate the spirit of law through" 
out the Christian world. It is. in fact, a part of the practical law of 
every Christian nation, whether recognized as such or not." 

Indeed almost an unlimited number of illustrations and 
opinions might be given, but let a particular and concrete 
illustration be adduced — an account of the influence of the 
Bible on a particular nation at a particular time. It is the 
time of the great Reformation. Luther's German Bible had 
stirred the heart of Germany, and Wycliffe's Bible had most 
powerfully stirred the life and conscience of England. In his 
History of the English People the historian Green has this 
to say of that time : 

"So far as the nation at large was concerned, no history, no ro- 
mance, hardly any poetry save the little known verse of Chaucer, 
existed in the English tongue when the Bible was ordered to be set 
up in the churches. Sunday after Sunday, day after day, the crowds 
that gathered around the Bible in the nave of St. Paul's, or the family 
group that hung on its words in the devotional exercises at home, 
were leavened with a new literature. Legend and annal, war song 
and psalm, state roll and biography, the mighty voices of prophets, 



INTRODUCTION. xxix 



the parables of evangelists, stories of mission journeys, or perils by 
the sea and among the heathen, philosophic arguments, apocalyptic- 
visions, all were flung broadcast over minds unoccupied for the most 
part by any rival learning. But far greater than its effect on liter- 
ature or social phrase was the effect of the Bible on the character of 
the people at large. The Bible was as yet the one book which was 
familiar to every Englishman; and everywhere its words as they fell 
on ears that custom had not deadened to their force and beauty, kind- 
led a startling enthusiasm. The effect of the Bible, however dispas- 
sionately we examine it, was simply amazing. The whole people be- 
came a church. The problem of life, and death, whose questionings 
found no answers in the higher minds of Shakespeare's day pressed 
for an answer not only from noble and scholar, but from farmer and 
shopkeeper in the age that followed him." 

It has always been true that whenever and wherever this 
great book has been properly opened to the people it has 
reached their hearts. It is not the purpose of this essay to 
discuss the divine element in it which gives it this unusual 
power — but the very fact that this world-transforming force 
comes to us expressed in the same words and phrases that 
the most secular literature may use, makes these literary 
forms of extraordinary interest. 

5. It is profitable to study the Bible because it contains 
the best forms of literature in satisfying perfection. The Eng- 
lish historian James Anthony Froude wrote : 

"The Bible thoroughly known is a literature of itself — the rarest 
and the richest in all departments of thought or imagination which 
exists." 

Mr. Bowen says : 

"The opinion of scholars is unanimous that the Bible's excellence 
as pure English is unmatched; English literature has nothing equal 
to it, and is indeed largely indebted to conscious or unconscious imi- 
tation of it for many of its best and most characteristic qualities. 
The diction is remarkable for its clearness, simplicity and strength. 
Tt is as simple and natural as the prattle of children at play, yet 
never lacking in grace and dignity, or in variety and expressive force." 

South, the great English divine, says: 

"In God's word we have not only a body of religion, but also a 
system of the best rhetoric; and as the highest things require the 
highest expressions, so we shall find nothing in Scripture so sub- 
lime in itself, but it is reached and sometimes overtopped by the sub- 
limity of the expression. So that he who said he would not read 



BIBLE STUDY. 



Scripture for fear of spoiling his style showed himself as much a 
blockhead as an atheist, and to have as small a gust of the elegancies 
of expression as the sacredness of the matter." 
Sir William Jones testifies : 

"I have carefully and regularly perused these holy Scriptures, 
and am of opinion that the volume independent of its divine origin 
contains more sublimity, purer morality, more important history, and 
finer strains of elquence, than can he collected from all other books in 
whatever language they may have been written." 

Do you ask for tenderness and devotion expressed in 
faultless rhetoric? 

"And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from 
following after thee, for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou 
lodgest I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my 
God; where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord 
do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." 

Do you ask for pathos and elegant simplicity? 

"And Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king; for the lord hath 
avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 

"And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? 
And Cushi answered, The enemies of my, lord the king, and all that 
rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. 

"And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber 
over the gate, and wept; and as he went, thus he said, O, my son 
Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, 
Oh Absalom, my son, my son!" 

Do you want eloquence of appeal, gentleness of warning, 
depth of yearning and glorious promise united with beauty of 
poetic form, delightful imagery and most picturesque meta- 
phor? Hear Isaiah: 

"Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that 
hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk 
without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend your money 
for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth 
not? Hearken dilligently unto me, and eat you that which is good, 
and let your soul delight itself in fatness. * * * For ye shall go 
out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills 
shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the 
.field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the 
fir tree; and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree: and 
:t shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall 
not be cut off." 

Do you want the most practical wisdom set forth in sen- 
tences of the utmost vigor, terseness, and rhythmic beauty? 



INTRODUCTION. 



"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my command- 
ments; 

For length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee. 
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; 

write them upon the table of thine heart; 
So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sigtn of God 

and man. 

* * * * * * 

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth 

understanding; 
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, 

and the gain thereof than fine gold. 
She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire 

are not to be compared unto her. 
Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and 

honor. 
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is every 

one that retaineth her.'' 
Do you ask for sublimity? 
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit, 
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: 
If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts 

of the sea, 
Even there shall thy hand lead me, 
And thy right hand shall hold me." 



Method of Studying the Bible 



I do not think that it is treating the Bible irreverently 
to study it somewhat as we study other literature. But the 
fact is we do not read the Bible at all as we read any 
other book. When we read our secular books, Ave begin at 
the first and take things in their order. If Ave take up one 
of Shakespeare's plays, A\^e begin Avith the first scene of the 
first act and then go on in an orderly way with the second, 
third, fourth and fifth acts to the conclusion. If we are read- 
ing EA'angeline, we begin at the first and follow the story 
through in logical order. We never think of reading a scene 
in the middle of one of Shakespeare's plays out of all con- 
nection with what goes before and what comes after — at 
least if Ave expect to get at the author's real meaning. 

Yet that is the A T ery thing Ave do in our study of the 
Bible. If from a feeling of pious obligation Ave promise our- 
selves that Ave Avill read the book of Job, it makes A T ery little 
difference to us whether Ave begin at the end, the middle or 
the beginning. We persuade ourselves that we are doing 
helpful, conscientious work if AA T e read isolated chapters and 
A^erses anywhere in the Bible from Genesis to ReA^elations. 
Can it be possible that these books are not constructed like 
other books, with a beginning, a middle and an end, Avith in- 
troduction, development and conclusion, with order and ar- 
rangement, so that the first part lays the foundation for what 
folloAvs and the last part is better understood in the light 
of what has gone before? The fact is that these books of the 
Bible are just like other books in this respect. They are to 
be taken as units ; there is a connecting thread which runs 
through from the beginning to the end, and it is absolutely 
necessary for us to study them in a logical way to keep from 
misunderstanding or misinterpreting many of the isolated pas- 



INTRODUCTION. xxxiii 

sages. The light of the whole chapter, the whole book, must 
be thrown on the individual passage or verse. 

1 believe that the division of the English Bible into 
verses was rather a calamitous thing. Although the 
Hebrew Bible had some such divisions, the Geneva 
Bible was the first English version that split up the 
chapters into paragraph verses and numbered them in 
order. It is evident that this method of printing the Bible has 
been productive of some evil and much more ignorance con- 
cerning the real meaning, the larger truth of many parts of the 
Bible. It has led to the use of the Bible as a sort of dictionary of 
religion. Such an arrangement is admirably suited for this use. 
Indeed, to a great many persons-, the Bible is simply a collec- 
tion of texts to which they may go to gather ammunition 
now to bombard an enemy, now to defend themselves. And 
we know from the multiplication of creeds and sects in the 
world that almost any sort of doctrine can be supported if 
one is allowed to select isolated passages and regard verses 
as having a complete meaning when taken out of their con- 
nection with chapter and book. It is too often the case that 
we take texts as teaching certain things and forget where 
they came from, or what is their setting. A good illustration 
is the case of the Universalist divine who preached a sermon 
on immortality from the text, "Thou shalt not surely die," 
entirely oblivious of the fact that those were the words which 
the Devil spoke to Eve, and that his sayings are not usually 
considered to be of unimpeachable orthodoxy. We may, for 
instance, quote a text from the book of Job without inquiring 
whether the words were spoken by Job or by one of his 
three friends. Now the fact is that Job and his friends are 
carrying on a debate. What he affirms, they deny ; what they 
affirm, he denies; they are fencing with one another; both can 
not be right. Possibly in the very next chapter there is a 
complete refutation of the statement made in the text. At 
least at the end of the book of Job we are told that the three 
friends had been saying the thing that is not right, while 
Job had been speaking the truth. For example, take these 



xxxiv BIBLE STUDY. 



two passages, "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out 
and the spark of his fire shall not shine:"' and ''Wherefore do 
the wicked live, become old, yea are mighty in power? their 
houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God against 
them.*' There is no reconciling these two passages unless one 
takes into consideration the character of the book of Job. 

It is said that there was one time a pious young preacher 
who felt it his solemn duty to preach a sermon against the 
peculiar style in which the ladies of his congregation per- 
sisted in wearing their hair. They wore it in a big knot on 
the top of their heads — Psyche knot. This conscientious 
young preacher thought that it was a very wicked fashion. 
At first he was at a loss to find a text from which to preach 
his denunciatory sermon. But one Sunday morning, to the 
surprise of his auditors, he announced the following text — 
"Top-knot come down." From this text he preached a power- 
ful sermon against the vanities of the world in general and 
against the little vanities of women in particular. Of course, 
there was great curiosity to know where the pious young 
reformer had got his text, and at last it was found in the 
24th chapter and 17th verse of Matthew's Gospel : "And 
when ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of 
by Daniel the prophet, let him that is in Judea flee to the 
mountains, and let him that is on the house top not come 
down into the house to take anything out of the house.'' This 
is a rather foolish illustration, but the thing I want to pro- 
test against is the incompleteness of view which we have if we 
study the Bible by texts or chapters alone. 

There are indeed thousands of verses that furnish themes 
for grand and fruitful sermons, raid it is possible to get a 
multitude of maxims, proverbs, wise sayings, and luminous 
texts from this great volume : but how much more satisfac- 
tory would be our study if we extended our vision over a 
whole chapter, a whole book: if we studied the book of Job 
as a complete masterpiece ; if we studied the book of Revela- 
tions as a unit ; if we looked upon the Gospel of Luke as be- 
ing a continuous and complete narrative to be studied all to- 
gether. 



INTROnrCTIOX. 



We do not expect to arrive at completeness by such study 
of secular literature. We do not expect a single scene from 
Hamlet to give us the author's meaning in that great play; 
we do not expect a sentence from one of Burke's speeches 
to supply an adequate notion of his statesman-like grasp of 
thought; we do not expect to get even partially a true im- 
pression of Daniel Webster unless we read all of one of his 
great speeches ; why should we not look upon the study of 
the books of the Bible in the same way? Why should we 
not read Joshua as we read Caesar's Commentaries? Solo- 
mon's Song as we read Romeo and Juliet? Job as we read 
Hamlet? 

A great literary product is like a great masterpiece of 
architecture — the whole must stand out and be taken into 
account to reveal the master's thought. 
"Walk about Zion, and go round about her; 
Tell the towers thereof. 

Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; 
That ye may tell it to the generations following." 

That is the way we should treat the great books of Zion, 
too. 



Outlines of Old Testament History 



Genesis — Book I. The; Beginnings oe Things. 

Introduction. Creation of the heavens, earth, and man. 

1. The six formative periods (1:1-2: 3). 

2. The place assigned man. 

I. The generations of the heavens and the earth (2:4-4:26). 

1. A second account of the beginning of man upon the earth. 

2. The temptation. How accomplished. Its meaning. 

3. Cain and Abel. Their offerings. The murder. Significance of 

Cain's sentence. The growth of inventions. The birth of Seth. 

II. The generations of Adam (5:1-6:8). 

1. Line of descent from Adam to Noah. 

2. Term of life. 

3. Increase of wickedness on the earth. 

III. The generations of Noah (6:9-9:29). 

1. Noah and his three sons. 

2. The corruption of men. 

3. The flood. God's command to Noah. Story of the flood. Sub- 

sidence of the water. The going forth from the ark. The 
promise. 

IV. The generations of the sons of Noah (10:1-11 :g). 

1. The nations which sprang from Noah's sons. 

2. Noah's shame. Curse of Canaan. 

3. The confusion of tongues. 

V. The generations of Shem (11:10-26). 
The line of descent from Shem to Terah. 

VI. The generations of Terah (11:27-32). 

1. The family of Terah. 

2. Migration of Terah and his family. 

Genesis — Book II. The Chosen People as a Patriarchal 

Family. 

I. The story of Abraham (12:1-25:11). 
1. The call and the promise and the journeyings. 



BIBLE STUDY. 



2. The journey into Egypt. Sarah and Pharaoh. 

3. Return to Bethel. Parting of Abraham and Lot. 

4. The raid on Sodom. Melchizedek. 

5. Sarah, Hagar, and the promised seed. Change of name. 

6. The judgment on Sodom. Abraham's plea. The angels with Lot 

The escape of Lot. Lot's wife. Lot in the mountains. 

7. Abraham at Gerar. Abimelech and Sarah. 

8. Birth of Isaac and casting off of Ishmael. The great feast. 

9. The offering of Isaac. 

10. The burial of Sarah. First record of use of money. 

11. The wooing of Rebecca. The journey of Eliezer. The meeting at 

the well. Departure of Rebecca. Meeting with Isaac. 

12. The marriage of Abraham to Keturah. Abraham's death. 

II. The generations of Ishmael (25 :i2-i8). 

A very brief account of Ishmael and his descendants. 

III. The generations of Isaac (25:19-35:29). 

1. Birth of Esau and Jacob. Characteristics of the men. 

2. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob. 

3. Isaac at Gerar. Trouble with Abimelech and with the people. 

4. Esau's marriage and its effect upon his parents. 

5. The stolen blessing — equivalent to a deed of primogeniture. The 

flight of Jacob. Vision at Bethel. 

6. Jacob's service for Laban at Padan-aram. His wages. The fraud 

practiced on him. 

7. Change in his wages and his prosperity. 

8. Jacob's departure from Padan-aram. Laban's pursuit and the re- 

sult. 

9. News of the approach of Esau. Jacob's fear. The wrestling with 

the mysterious stranger. The meeting with Esau and its amic- 
able result. 

10. The story of Dinah and Shechem. The bloody treachery of Simeon 

and Levi. 

11. Jacob at Bethel. Birth of Benjamin and death of Rachel. 

12. List of the sons of Jacob. Death of Isaac. 

IV. The generations of Esau or Edom (36:1-43). 

V: The generations of Jacob (37:1-50:26). 

1. Jacob's partiality for Joseph. Joseph's dreams. 

2. Plot of the brothers. Joseph sold into Egypt. The servant of 

Potiphar. 

3. In prison on false accusation. He interprets dreams for baker and 

butler. Interpretation of Pharaoh's dream. 

4. Elevation of Joseph. The famine. 

5. Sons of Jacob go down into Egypt for corn. Their reception. 

Their return. 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 



6. The second journey. Joseph's device to try them. Judah's 

speech. Joseph's revelation of himself. 

7. Jacob sent for. Takes his whole family into Egypt. They locate 

in Goshen. 

8. Continuance and effect of the famine. 

9. Jacob's blessing of Joseph's children and his final prophetic bene- 

diction on his sons. 

10. Burial of Jacob in the land of Canaan. Joseph's magnanimous con- 

duct toward his brethren. His last days and death. 

The Wandering in the Wilderness (1491-1452, B. C.)... 
(Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). 

I. Antecedent Events in Egypt. 

1. Enslavement of the Israelites: Attempts to prevent their in- 

crease (Ex. 1). 

2. The birth of Moses. Education in the palace. Sympathy with 

his people. His flight into Midian and residence there. The 
burning bush. The call. Departure from Midian and meet- 
ing with Aaron (Ex. 2-4). 

3. Message to Pharaoh and Pharaoh's defiant tone. Increasing of 

the people's burdens. Their discontent. Second message to 
Pharoah. Miracles in his presence (Ex. 5-7). 

4. The plagues: The river turned to blood. Frogs. Lice. Flies. 

Murrain. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death of the 
first born (7:20-12:1-30). 

5. Institution of the Passover: Meaning of the word, and its me- 

morial character (12: 11-51). 

11. Geography of the Wanderings. 

1. Three seas: The Red Sea (Gulfs of Suez and Akaba) ; The Dead 

Sea; The Mediterranean. 

2. Five deserts: Desert of Shur (Exod. 15:22); Desert of Paran 

Num. 10:12), where thirty-eight of the forty years were passed; 
Desert of Etham (Num. 33:8), on the shore of the Gulf of 
Suez; Desert of Sin( Ex. 16:1), near Mount Sinai; Desert of 
Zin (Num. 13:21), the desolate valley between the Gulf of 
Akaba and the Dead Sea. 

3. Five lands: Goshen, the land of the sojourn. (Exod. 9:25); 

Midian, the land of Moses's shepherd life, on both sides of the 
Gulf of Akaba (Ex. 2:15); Edom, the land of Esau's descend- 
ants, east of the Dead Sea (Num. 21:13); Canaan, the land 
of promise (Gen. 12:7). 

4. Three mountains: Mount Sinai, where the law was given (Ex. 

19:20); Mount Hor, where Aaron died (Num. 20:23-; Mount 
Nebo, (Pisgah) where Moses died (Deut. 34:1). 



BIBLE STUDY. 



5. Seven important places: Rameses, the starting point (Ex. 12:37) 
Baal-zephon, the place of crossing the Red Sea (Ex. 14:2) 
Marah, where the bitter waters were sweetened (Ex. 15:22) 
Elim, the place of rest (Ex. 15:27) ; Rephidim, the place of the 
first battle near Mount Sinai (Ex. 17:8); Kadesh-barnea ; 
whence the spies were sent forth (Num. 13:26); Jahaz, in the 
land of Moab, south of the brook Arnon, place of victory over 
the Amorites (Num. 21:23). 

III. Journeys and Events of the Wanderings. 

1. From Rameses to the Red Sea, (Ex. 14) : The departure. Spoiling 

the Egyptians. The first journey. Continuation of journey 
and how they were guided (13). The pursuit. Alarm of Is- 
raelites and their reassurance by Moses. Passage of the Red 
Sea. Destruction of Pharaoh's army. The song of victory. 

2. From the Red Sea to Mount Sinai (Ex. 15-18): Apprehension 

of famine and murmurings. Miraculous supply of quails and 
manna. The waters of Marah. The waters of Meribah. De- 
feat of the Amalekites. Counsel of Moses's father-in-law. 
Moses on Mt. Sinai and God's charge to him and the people. 

3. At Mount Sinai (Ex. Chs. 19-31) : Here the camp was kept for 

nearly a year. The Ten Commandments given (Ex. 20:2-17). 
Two division of the decalogue. Several civil and moral 
ordinances (Ex. 21-23). Four capital offenses. Penalty for 
destroying an eye, tooth, etc. Restitution for stealing a sheep 
or an ox. Trespass or destruction of property. 
The great apostasy — worship of the golden calf. Consequence 
to the people (32). The offense of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 
10:8). Occasion of the long stay at Mount Sinai (Ex. 
40:36, 37). 

4. From Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea: Signal for departure (Num. 

10:11). Destination (Deut. 1:6-7). Character of the country 
Deut. 1:19). Spirit of mutiny among the people (Num 11:4-6). 
Jealousy of Miriam and Aaron against Moses (Num. 12). 
Removal to Hazeroth (11:35). 

5. At Kadesh-barnea: Sending out the spies (Num. 13:1-26). 

Their report (21-33). Effect of the report (14:1-4). The de- 
feat at Hormah (40-45). 

6. From Kadesh-barnea through the desert of Paran and return: 

Thirty-eight years of wandering. Punishment for violating 
the Sabbath (Num. 15:32). Mutiny of Korah, Dathan, and 
Abiram (Num. 16.) The miracle of the rods (Num. 17). 

7. At Kadesh-barnea again: Death of Miriam (Num. 20). The foun- 
tain in the rock (Num. 20). 

8. Preparation for the invasion: Defeat of the Canaanites( Num. 
21:1-3). Request made of the King of Edom to go through 
his territory (Num. 20:14-21). Journey to Hor. Death of 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 



Aaron. Journey around the land of Edom. Murmuring of the 
people. The brazen serpent. Continued journeyings toward 
the east of Jordan (Num. 21:10-20). 

The Conquest of Canaan. 

I. Campaign east of Jordan. (B. C. 1451). 

1. The conquest of Gilead (Num. 21:21-31): Request made of 

Sihon, king of the Amorites. Battle of Jahaz, near the brook 
Arnon. Possession of land from the Arnon to the Jabbok. 

2. The conquest of Bashan (Num. 21:33-35): Defeat of Og, 

King of Bashan, at battle of Edrei, in the mountains. 
3-. Balak, Balaam, and the Israelites (Num. 22, 23, 24, and 25:-2-3). 
Alarm of Balak, King of Moab. Device to thwart the Israel- 
ites. Character of Balaam. Balak's messages to him. Ac- 
count of Balaam's journey. His prophetic utterances and 
Balak's disappointment. The Israelites lured into idolatry. 

4. Conquest of Midian (Num. 31:1-8): The attack led by Phineas, 

the warrior priest. Capture of their land and other wealth 
(Num. 31). 

5. Request of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh: They receive 

their inheritance in the recently conquered territory (Num. 
32:1-42). The request is granted on conditions. 

6. Cities of refuge (Num. 35:9-34). 

7. The vision and death of Moses (Deut. 34:1-12). 

8. The long journey ends: The Israelites are encamped at the foot 

of Mount Nebo. 

II. Campaigns west of the Jordan (B. C. 1451). 

1. Preparations: God's charge to Joshua (Josh. 1:1-9). Expedi- 

tion of the spies. Aid afforded by Rahab. Passage of the 
Jordan. The commemorative monument (Josh. 4:1-9, 20-24). 
National rite renewed and great feast celebrated. Gilgal 
made center of operations (Josh. 4:19). 

2. Invasion of Central Palestine: The taking of Jericho. Rescue of 

Rahab. The repulse at Ai. The sin of Achan. The punish- 
ment. Conquest of Ai. Injunction of Moses observed (Deut. 
27:2, 3, 8, and Josh. 8:30-35). 

3. Campaign against southern Palestine: Confederation of the 

Canaanitish Kings (Josh. 9:1-2). The device of the Gibeon- 
ites (Josh. 9:3-27). The five kings against Gibeon. Joshua 
defeats them at the great battle of Beth-horon. The miracle. 
Execution of the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, 
Lachish, and Eglon. Joshua takes the towns of Makkedah, 
Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, defeats Horam, King 
of Gerer, and all the country from Kadesh-barnea unto Gaza, 
and from Goshen unto Gibeon. 



BIBLE STUDY. 



4. Conquest of northern Palestine: The northern confederation 

(Josh. 11:1-9). Completion of the conquest (10-23). The 
great battle of the campaign near Lake Merom( Josh. 11:7). 
This campaign won the mountain regions of western Palestine. 

5. Supplementary campaigns: Caleb's capture of Hebron (Judg. 

1:10-15). The Judahites' capture of Bezek, an unknown place 
between Jerusalem and the Philistine plain (Judge. 1:1-8). 
The Danites' capture of Laish, in the extreme north, after- 
wards called Dan (Judg. 18). 

6. The apportionment of land among the tribes (Josh. 13 to 22) : 

Boundaries of land to be divided (Josh. 13). How the land 
was apportioned (Josh. 14 to 18). The tabernacle set up at 
Shiloh. Six cities of refuge appointed. Forty-eight cities 
given to the Levites (Josh. 20 to 21). 

7. Joshua's farewell: He convenes the tribes at Shechem. Brief 

historical survey. "Warns the people against idolatry. 
Charges them to be faithful to God. Reviews the covenant. 
Death of Joshua and Eliezar and their burial. 

III. General Condition of Israel at the Close of the Conquest. 

1. The native races were not destroyed nor driven away. They re- 

mained as subject peoples in some places, as the ruling races 
on the sea-coast and in the Jordan valley. The Israelites 
possessed most of the mountain regions. 

2. The landed system was peculiar. Estates were inalienable. 

They- might be leased, but not sold; and on tne year of Jubi- 
lee (every fiftieth year) all land reverted to the family 
originally owning it. Thus every family had its ancestral 
home, the poor were protected, and "swollen" riches were 
kept within bounds. 

3. The government was a republic of families without an executive 

head, except when a judge was raised up to meet special needs. 
Each tribe had its own ruler, but there was no central au- 
thority after Joshua (Judg. 21:25). This condition of affairs 
promoted individuality and personal energy of character, but 
led to national weakness. 

4. The religious system was simple. There was but one altar at 

Shiloh and all the tribes were required to visit it for the three 
great feasts (Deut. 12:11, 14; Josh. 18:1). This was the re- 
ligious bond which united the people. But there were fre- 
quent and gross lapses into idolatry. The great masses of the 
people were ignorant, prone to idolatry, and easily influenced 
by the native races. 
4. Tribal jealousy was frequently the cause of serious trouble. Only 
under some great chieftain like Gideon or Samuel would the 
twelve tribes consent to bury their jealousies. Often when 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 



the northern tribes were in peril, the southern tribes stood 
aloof; and in like manner the southern tribes were frequently 
left to fight the Philistines without assistance. Especially 
between the two great tribes, Judah and Ephraim, was there 
a constant struggle for the leadership of the nation. This 
rivalry may be traced through all the reign of David. At 
last it led to the division of the empire after the death of 
Solomon. 

Israel Under the Judges (1426- 1095). 
(Judges and I. Sam. 1-12). 

I. Introductory. 

1. The Book of Judges is fragmentary and unchronological. To a 

large extent the events are local and tribal and not national. 
Still, there is presented a view of the character and condition 
of the people which is historically important. 

2. The judges were military dictators with religious authority, a 

sort of union of the warrior and the religious reformer. They 
were not chosen by the votes of the people, but were men whom 
the people recognized as called of God to their offices. Their 
authority did not rest on law nor on armies but on the personal 
elements of integrity and leadership in the men. and in the 
general belief in their inspiration. They arose in some hour 
of great need, and held their power to the end of their lives. 

3. The extent of their rule was generally local. Deborah ruled in 

the north (Judg. 5:14-18). Jephthah governed east of the Jor- 
dan only (Judg. 11:29). Gideon and Samuel alone" ruled all 
the twelve tribes. 

4. This may be called the age of the heroes. As men were needed 

they were raised up, for there was opportunity for the strong- 
est, the fittest. There came to the front such strong men as 
Othniel, Ehud, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson and Samuel. 

5. It was an age of lawlessness. During all this period there is 

no reference to the law of Moses. The nation was unorgan- 
ized and unsettled, for "In those days there was no king in 
Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes" 
(Judg. 21:25). 

6. It was an age of idolatry. 

II. Divisions of the Book of Judges. 

1. The preface (Judg. 1:1-3:6): There is given here a recapitula- 
tion of events which took place in Joshua's time with another 
account of his death (1:1-2:10); and second, reflections upon 
the history to be narrated with a formula according to which 
the history of the period repeats itself. The formula is: 



BIBLE STUDY. 



Apostasy, Idolatry, Subjection, Reformation, Victory, and 
Temporary Prosperity. 

2. The main narrative in which are recounted the successive events 

of the oft-repeated formula with most space given to the ex- 
ploits of the judges (Judg. 2:11-16). 

3. The appendix (Judg. 17-21) : These five chapters describe ?n de- 

tail two incidents belonging to this period: The migration 
of a part of the tribe of Dan to the north, and the war of the 
Israelites against Benjamin growing out of the outrage at 
Gibeah. 

III. Analysis of the Books of Judges. 

1. The preface (Judg. 1:1-3:6): The acts of Judah and Simeon. 

The cruelty of Adonibezek justly requited. Jerusalem and 
Hebron taken. Enumeration of unconquered peoples. Re- 
buke of the people at Bochim. Death of Joshua. "Wickedness 
of the people of Israel. Outline of the history and conduct 
of the people during this period (Judg. 2:10-23). The nations 
which were left to prove Israel. 

2. The main narrative: 

1. Israel serves Chusman-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, eight 
years. Deliverance by Othniel. Peace for forty years 
(3:7-11). 

(2.) Israel serves Eglon eighteen years. Deliverance by Ehud. 
An account of Ehud's stratagem. Peace for eight years 
(3:12-30). 

(3.) Oppression by the Philistines. Deliverance by Shamgar, 
who slew 600 Philistines (3:31). 

(4.) Oppression by Jabin, King of Canaan twenty years. De- 
borah and Barak make a campaign against Sisera and Jabin. 
Treachery of Heber, the Kenite. Battle of Mount Tabor. 
Jael's bold act. Poetic account of the events of the battle, the 
song of Deborah and Barak (4-5). 

(5.- Oppression by Midian seven years. Condition of the people. 
The Divine warning. The call of Gideon. Results of the call 
and its further confirmation. Account of Gideon's revolt and 
its success. Singular test in the organization of his forces. 
Foreshadowing of victory. The assault and its success. The 
Ephraimites make trouble. Gideon's politic words. Civil dis- 
sensions and punishment of refractory cities. Discomfiture 
of the Midianite people and princes. The land has rest for 
forty years. 

(6.) The career of Abimelech. Murder of his brothers and usur- 
pation of the local government. Jotham's parable and 
prophecy. Dissension and disorder and civil war. Death of 
Abimelech (Ch. 9-10). 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 



(7.) Tola and Jair judge and defend Israel forty-five year (10:1-5). 

(8.) Oppression by Amnion eighteen years. Early history of Jeph- 
thah. Appeal of the people and his answer. His demand of 
the Ammonites, their reply and Jephthah's answer. Jeph- 
thah's rash vow. The great victory. The dreadful conse- 
quence of his vow. The Ephraimites again make trouble and 
are punished for their folly (10:6-12:7). 

(9.) Ibzon, Elon, and Abdon judge Israel twenty-five years. 
(10.) Oppression by the Philistines forty years. Samson's career. 
Birth and consecration by his parents. Samson and the 
woman of Timnath. He slays a lion. His marriage feast. His 
riddle. Slaughter of the thirty Philistines. Burning of the 
Philistines' corn. Delivered over to the Philistines he slays 
them with the jawbone of an ass. Samson's escapade at Gaza. 
Delilah of the valley of Sorek. She betrays him into the 
hands of the Philistines. Their treatment of him. The feast 
to Dagon and Samson's death (Ch. 13-16). 

3. The appendix: Stories from Israelitish life. 

(1.) The story of Micah and his priest. The stolen silver. The 
graven image. The young Levite. The expedition of the Dan- 
ites. Their second coming and treatment of Micah (17-18). 

(2.) The Levite and his wife. Their delay at the father-in-law's 
house. The old man at Gibeah. The outrage by the Gibeath- 
ites. The Levite's call for vengeance. The struggle between 
Israel and Benjamin. The oath of Israel and how it was 
evaded (19-21). 

IV. The Book of Ruth. 

This is a story of the time of the judges. It is a picture of piety, 
contentment, love, devotion, patience, and faith remarkable 
in a time of idolatry, violence, and bloodshed. 

V. The Book of Samuel. 

Only the first twelve chapters are given to the account of the rule 
of the judges. The book opens with Eli as the priest, and 
leader of the people. Samuel takes the place of Eli and on 
demand of the people and by command of God anoints Saul 
as king of the nation. Samson's life was probably partly 
contemporaneous with that of Samuel. 
1. The rule of Eli (1 Sam. 1-4) : 

Continued domination of the Philistines. The vow of Hannah. Birth 
of Samuel. Wickedness of Eli's sons. He reproves his sons. 
God rebukes Eli. Destruction of Eli's house revealed to Sam- 
uel. The Philistines defeat the Israelites. The ark taken to 
the camp. Disastrous results. The death of Eli. 



10 BIBLE STUDY. 



2. The rule of Samuel (1 Sam. 5-12) : 

(1.) Effect of the presence of the ark among the Philistines. In- 
cidents connected with the return of the ark. Reformation 
under Samuel. The Philistines defeated. Samuel's rule as 
judge. His wicked sons. The people demand a king. Sam- 
uel's remonstrance. The Lord's direction to grant their re- 
quest. 

(2.) Anointing of Saul. Saul goes in search of his father's asses. 
His visit to Samuel at Ramah. The anointing. Saul's re- 
turn and the fulfillment of Samuel's predictions. Public 
designation of Saul as king. 

(3.) Saul's first exploit as leader of the people — rescuing Jabesh- 
gilead. His magnanimity. Renewing of the kingdom. 

(4.) Samuel's rehearsal of history, his surrender of authority, and 
counsel concerning future conduct of Israel. Miraculous 
, phenomenon and its effect on the people. 

The Rise of the Kingdom. 

I. Introductory: The causes leading to the monarchy. 

The establishment of the kingdom was not the result of a sudden im- 
pulse. There had been a gradual preparation for it through 
the whole period of the judges and now there seemed to be a 
necessity for it. 

2. Former attempts: There had been a desire for a king before this 

time and several attempts to establish a kingdom. The peo- 
ple desired Gideon to become king (Judg. 8:22-23). Abimelech 
attempted to make himself king but failed (Judg. 9)- Judges 
are, seen setting up a semi-royal state (Judg. 10:4 and 12:14) 
and making marriages for their children outside of the tribe 
(Jud. 12: 9, 13), and associating their sons with themselves 
Judg. 10:4 and I. Sam. 8:1, 2). 

3. The spirit of surrounding nations: The movement of Israel to- 

ward monarchy was also in accordance with the spirit of the 
surrounding nations. In the days of the conquest there were 
few kings in the lands surrounding Palestine. There were 
"lords" and "elders" but no kings among the Moabites, Am- 
monites, and Phenecians (Judg. 3:3; I. Sam. 5:8; Num. 22:7). 
But a wave of "imperialism" seems to have swept over all 
those lands for soon they all have kings (I. Sam. 21:10; 11:1; 
22: 3; II. Sam. 5: 11). 

4. Danger of invasion: They felt themselves weak while other na- 

tions were organized for conquest and strong because they 
were joined under one leader (I. Sam. 12:12). 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 11 



5. Their experience under Samuel showed them the contrast be- 

tween a government weakened by tribal dissensions and one 
under a wise, strong, and steady rule. 

6. Worldly ambition too, was no small factor in bringing about the 

change in the sentiments of the people. They wished to be 
like the nations about them, to establish a secular state, to 
conquer an empire for themselves (I.Sam. 8:5-20). 

II. The Character of the Israelite Kingdom. 

1. It was a theocratic kingdom in name: God was to be recognized 

as the supreme ruler, and the king should rule as his rep- 
resentative, by divine right and by his own right. If the king 
should disobey the divine commands he should lose the king- 
dom (I. Sam. 12*13-15; 13:13, 14; 15:26). 

2. It was a constitutional kingdom: The rights of the people were 

carefully guaranteed, and there was a written constitution (I. 
Sam. 10:25). Nearly all the Oriental countries were gov- 
erned by absolute monarchs; but Israel was to be an ex- 
ception to that rule. The people could demand their rights 
from Rehoboam (I. Kings 12:3, 4). Ahab could not seize, nor 
even buy Naboth's vineyard against the owner's will (I. 
Kings 21:1-3). 

3. It was regulated by the prophets. The order of propnets was a 

regular institution in Israel. The prophets had a recognized 
standing and were a check upon the king's power as repre- 
sentatives both of God's will and the people's rights. There 
are many instances of the boldness of the propnets in rebuk- 
ing kings (I. Sam. 15:16-23; II. Sam. 12:1-7; I. Kings 13:1-6; 
17:1; 22:7-17). 

III. The Reign of Saul (B. C. 1095-1055). (I Sam. 12-31). 

1. The selection of Saul as king: (See outline under rule of Samuel). 

2. Continuation of trouble with Philistines (I. Sam. 13-14). Saul's 

first transgression and the predicted penalty. Scarcity of 
weapons among the Israelites. Daring adventure of Jonathan 
and its marvelous success. Saul's injunction and imprecation. 
Jonathan's transgression. The great victory. Faintness of 
the people and consequent conduct, and Saul's reproof of them. 
Jonathan saved from penalty of his transgression. Saul's 
success and prosperity. 

3. War against the Amalekites (Ch. 15) : Saul's second transgres- 

sion. Samuel's rebuke and Saul's defense. The condemnation 
and repentance. Samuel's rejection of Saul. Slaughter of 
Agag. 



12 BIBLE STUDY. 



Anointing of David (Ch. 16) : Samuel's journey to Bethlehem 
to anoint David. The selection of a king. The choice and 
anointing of David. 

David plays before Saul: An evil spirit possesses Saul. The 
remedy recommended. David's musical skill and its effect 
upon Saul. 

The Philistine War (Ch. 17). The gathering of the armies at 
Shochoh. The giant champion's defiance. David's appearance 
at the camp. David's proposal to Saul. The combat and sub- 
sequent events. Jonathan loves David. 

David a member of Saul's household (18-19) : David's popularity. 
Saul's jealousy. Attempt to slay him. His appointment to 
dangerous positions under promise of becoming the king's 
son-in-law. Mereb given to Adriel instead of to David. Prom- 
ise of hand of Michal if David will slay 100 Philistines. 
Michal given to David. Return of the evil spirit and attempt 
on David's life. Assassins sent to David's house. 

Flight of David (Ch. 19:12-21:15): Michal's device. David with 
Samuel. Saul sends for him. Goes himself to Ramah. The 
result. David's interview with Jonathan. Covenant between 
the friends. Jonathan's warning. David's flight to Nob to 
Abimelech, the priest. Gets the sword of Goliath. Goes to 
Achish, king of Gath. Feigns madness. 

David a wandering outlaw (22:1-30:31): Various persons resort 
to David and he becomes chief of a company thus formed. 
He takes his parents to Mizpah of Moab for safety and goes 
to the forest of Hareth in Judah. Saul appeals to his friends 
against David, and Doeg, the Edomite, gives information. 
Saul's cruel vindictiveness in the punishment of Abimelech 
and his friends. Abiathar escapes and takes refuge with 
David. David's exploits at Keilah. Saul plans to take David 
at Keilah. David flees to the wilderness of Ziph. Jonathan's 
magnanimity to David. The Ziphites betray David to Saul. 
David flees to the wilderness of Maon and Saul follows him. 
Saul is recalled to repel an invasion of the Philistines. David 
at Engedi. Saul's pursuit of David with an army. David's 
opportunity for revenge. His self-restraint. Saul's humilia- 
tion and confession. Recognition of David's future kingship. 
A covenant made. Death of Samuel. The affair with Nabal. 
The mediation of Nabal's wife. Death of Nabal and the sequel. 
Saul again pursues David and is again at his mercy. David 
will not stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. 
David flees to Achish. His conduct and fortunes among the 
Philistines. Marauding expeditions. David deceives Achish. 
Philistines renew war against Saul. Saul and the familiar 
spirit. The Philistine chief's suspicions of David. He is 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 13 



dismissed by Achish. The Amalekites destroy Ziklag. Pur- 
suit of the captors. Adventures on the way. Success of the 
expedition. Division of the spoil. 

10. Last great battle of Saul: The battle of Mount Gilboa. Saul is 
discomfited. He commits suicide. His sons are slain. Loyal 
conduct of the men of Jabesh-gilead. 

IV. The Reign of David over Judah (1055-1047). 

1. David's lament over Saul and Jonathan. He hears the reports of 

the battle. Punishment of the man who declares that he as- 
sisted in Saul's death. David's memorable dirge. 

2. David anointed king, at Hebron. His message to the men of 

Jabesh-gilead. Abner, captain of Saul's host, makes Ish- 
bosheth king over all Israel except Judah. Beginning of civil 
war. Defeat and flight of Abner's army. Death of Asahel. 
End of the pursuit. 

3. Continuation of the war and David's success. David's family. 

Quarrel of Ishbosheth and Abner. Abner negotiates with 
David to bring the dissenting tribes under his rule. Condi- 
tions of the league. The feast to Abner. Indignation of 
Joab at the situation. Abner pursued, brought back, and 
treacherously slain by Joab. David's grief and imprecation 
on Joab. 

4. Murder of Ishbosheth. His slayers, Rechab and Baanah, think- 

ing to be rewarded, are, by David's order, put to death. 

V. The Reign of David over the Whole Kingdom (1047-1014). 

1. The elders of Israel anoint David at Hebron. Jerusalem con- 

quered and made the capital of the kingdom. David's pros- 
perity. Invasion of the Philistines and their defeat at Baal- 
perazim and at Rephaim. 

2. Removal of the ark from Kirjath-jearim out of the house of 

Abinadab. The fate of Uzzah. The ark left with Obed-edom. 
Its second removal. The joyful celebration. Michal's rebuke. 

3. The king's purpose to build a temple unto the Lord. David for- 

bidden to build; the privilege to be granted to his son. Ex- 
plicit reason given elsewhere for this prohibition (I. Kings, 
5:3). 

4. Final subjugation of the Philistines, and conquest of neighboring 

nations. Chief officers of his government. David's kindness 
to Mephibosheth. 

5. A kindly embassy to Hanun, King of Ammon, is received with 

suspicion and disgracefully treated. David's Indignation and 
the terrible punishment inflicted upon the Ammonites and 
their allies. 



14 BIBLE STUDY. 



6. David and Bathsheba. David falls into flagrant sin. Attempts to 

conceal it by another sin. The murder of Uriah. Nathan's par- 
able. The divine rebuke and terrible punishment. Death of 
David's child and conduct of the king. Birth of Solomon. 
Conquest of Rabbah-Ammon. 

7. The story of Absalom. Ammon's great crime. The anger of the 

king. The revenge of Absalom and his exile. Joab's strat- 
agem to bring about the return of Absalom. Absalom's per- 
sonal appearance. His family. His restoration to the king's 
favor after two years' stay in Jerusalem. He plots against 
the government and "steals the hearts of the people." Re- 
bellion and insurrection. Flight of David with his family and 
body-guard. He sends back the ark. Hushai returns to act 
secretly in the king's interest and to be a snare to Absalom. 
The trick of Ziba. Continued flight. The insults of Shimei. 
David's forebearance. Absalom enters Jerusalem. Takes 
counsel of Ahithophel and Hushai. Hushai's shrewd and suc- 
cessful device. Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, send word 
to David concerning the plans of Absalom. The death of 
Ahithophel. The two armies, at Nahanaim, and in Gilead. 
Supplies for David's troops. Preparations for the battle. 
David's charge to his captains. The battle in the wood of 
Ephraim. David's solicitude for Absalom. Report of the de- 
feat of the insurgents and of the death of Absalom. David's 
intense sorrow. His continued grief and Joab's reproach. 

8. David's return to Jerusalem. Incidents of Shimei, Mephibosheth, 

and of Barzillai. Jealousies and dissensions among the people. 
David's appeal to Judah. Revolt of Sheba. Amasa, who had 
been Absalom's chief captain, is commissioned to organize 
the troops, but is delayed. Abishai and Joab ordered to pursue 
the insurgents. Joab treacherously slays Amasa. The re- 
bellion crushed and its leader slain. Chief officers of the kingy 

9. A famine and its cause. The satisfaction of the Gibeonites for 

the cruelty of Saul toward them. The barbarous offering to 
meet their demand. The touching devotion of Rizpah. Burial 
of the dead bodies and the bones of Saul and Jonathan in 
Zelah. Eploits of David's mighty men. David's song of de- 
liverance. David through vanity and ambition takes a census 
of his military forces. Dire results. David's repentance. 

10. David's old age. Attempt of Adonijah to usurp the kingdom (I. 
Kings 1). The matter reported to David and his directions 
concerning it. Solomon anointed king. The effect on 
Adonijah and his party. Solomon conditionally spares his 
brother's life. David's charge to Solomon. Gives directions 
concerning judgments against certain persons. Death of 
David. 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 15 



VI. The Reign of Solomon. 

1. Condition of Israel in the reign of Solomon: 

(1.) It was a period of peace: For sixty years there were no wars. 
This gave opportunity for development, for wealth, and for 
culture. 

(2.) It was a period of strong government: The age of individual 
and tribal energy was ended, and now all the life of the nation 
was gathered around the throne. All the tribes were held 
under one strong hand; tribal lines were ignored in the gov- 
ernment of the empire (I Kings 4:7-19); every department 
was organized. 

(3.) It was a period of wide empire: It was Israel's opportunity 
for power in the East; for the old Chaldean empire had 
been broken up, and the new Assyrian had not arisen, and 
Egypt was passing through a change of rulers and was weak. 
For one generation Israel held the supremacy in the Oriental 
world. 

(4.) It was a period of abundant wealth (I Kings 3:12, 13; 4:20; 
10:23-27): David had left great riches to Solomon (I. Chron. 
22:14-16). There was large tribute from subject kingdoms 
(I. Kings 10:25). The government carried on commerce with 
foreign countries, Egypt, Arabia, Tarshish, and Ophir. The 
trade from Egypt and Tyre to the East passed through Solo- 
mon's dominions and enriched the land. There were taxes 
laid upon the people (I. Kings 4:7; 12:4). 

(5.) It was a period of absolutism, burdensome taxation, cold form- 
alism in religion, corruption of morals, encouragement to 
idolatry and many heathen customs. 

2. Events of Solomon's Reign: 

(1.) Punishment of those who were under the ban: The party of 
Adonijah cause suspicions of conspiracy. Adonijah asked 
for Abishag to wife which, was interpreted as showing a de- 
sire for the kingdom. Adonijah is put to death. Zadok is 
made priest in the room of Abiathar. Joab suffered death 
for his rash crimes. Shimei is placed under restrictions. He 
violates them and is punished. 
(2.) Solomon's piety and wisdom. His public and solemn recogni- 
tion of God. His prayer for wisdom and God's answer. Ex- 
ample of his practical sagacity. 
(3). Officers of his government (I. Kings 4:1-19). Chief Priest Aza- 
riah. Scribes, Elihoreph and Ahiah. Recorder, Jehoshaphat. 
Chief of war department, Benaiah. Prime Minister, Zabud. 
Chief of household, Ahishar. Secretary of the treasury, Adon- 
iram. Twelve officers of the commissary department. Evi- 
dences of prosperity, both personally and politically. 



16 BIBLE STUDY. 



(4.) Solomon's intellectual endowments (4:29-34). 
(5.) Building of the temple: Treaty and amicable arrangement 
with King of Tyre. Number of men and plan of the labor. 
Laying the foundation of the temple. Dimensions. Costly 
materials (6:7, 9, 15, 21, 31, 34). The more prominent ap- 
pointments of the temple (6:19, 20; 7:15-21, 23-26). Time 
in building (6:37, 38). Account of the dedication. 
(6.) Evidences of public prosperity (4:17-28). Visit of the Queen 
of Sheba. Her surprise and admiration of Solomon's pros- 
perity and wisdom (10:1-10). Commercial prosperity 
(10:11-29). 
(7.) Solomon goes after strange women and strange gods. Enemies 
rise up against him. Jeroboam is given a place of authority. 
He rebels and is strengthened in his rebellion by the prophecy 
of Ahijah. Jeroboam flees to Egypt. Death of Solomon. 

Division of ths Kingdom. 

I. Causes of the Division. 

1. The oppressive government of Solomon: The people were rest- 

less under the heavy taxes which were levied to support the 
splendor and extravagance of the government of Solomon. 

2. The opposition of the prophets: The prophets had great influ- 

ence with the people and they had become disgusted with 
Solomon's idolatries (I Kings 11:29-33). 

3. Foreign intrigues: Egypt and Damascus were centres of con- 

spiracy against Israel. Rezon set up an independent govern- 
ment; and Egypt gave aid and comfort to Hadad of Edom an6 
Jeroboam. These two married relatives of the king of Egypt 
and were admitted to the court. There they were active in 
stirring up conspiracies against the throne of Israel. 

4. Tribal jealousy: The ancient jealousies of the tribes had a 

chance to break out again. Jeroboam, the enemy of Solomon, 
belonged to. the haughty tribe of Ephraim, which was intensely 
envious of the greatness and influence of Judah under the 
kingdom. 

5. The ambition and ability of Jeroboam: Jeroboam was recognized 

as a" mighty man of valour," the ablest young man of the 
time. He was in Egypt waiting for an opportunity to lead a 
revolt against the reigning house of Israel. The oppressed 
people sent for him to be present when they made their pe- 
tition at Shechem that the new king Rehoboam should lighten 
their burdens and make the yoke less grievous. 

6. The folly of Rehoboam: Rehoboam tried to play the part of a 

tyrant. He showed a plentiful lack of wisdom in following 
the counsel of the young men instead of heeding the sulvice 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 17 



of the old, experienced men. His answer to the petition of 
the people was both foolish and insulting. It precipitated a 
revolt which he was powerless to suppress. The northern 
tribes threw off their allegiance and set up a kingdom whose 
capital was Shechem. Jeroboam was chosen king. This 
northern kingdom was called Israel. Judah and a part of 
Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboa'm and were called the 
kingdom of Judah. 

II. The Kingdom of Israel (975-734). 

1. Its extent (I. Kings 12:19-21) : It embraced all the territory of the 

twelve tribes except Judah and a part of Benjamin, and held 
a nominal supremacy over Moab east of the Dead Sea. Its 
area was about 9,375 square miles^ while Judah included only 
3.435. 

2. Its capital was at first at Shechem; then, during several reigns 

at Tirzah; then at Samaria, where it remained until the end 
of the kingdom. That city after a time gave its name to the 
kingdom (I. Kings 21:1), and after the fall of the kingdom, 
to the province in the center of Palestine (John 4:3, 4). 

3. Its rulers: Jeroboam, 975-953; Nadab, 953-951; Baasha, 951-927; 

Elah, 927-925; Zimri, ; Omri, 925-913; Ahab, 913-891; 

Ahaziah, 891-889; Jehoram, 889-877; Jehu, 877-849; Jehoahaz, 
849-832; Jehoash, 832-816; Jeroboam II., 816,775; Zachariah, 
775; Shallum, 775; Menahem, 775-765; Pekahiah, 775-763; Pe- 
kah, 763-743; Hoshea, 743-734. 

(1.) Jeroboam (I Kings 12:26, 14:20). The golden calves at Dan 
and Bethel. The man of God from Judah. Jeroboam's 
withered hand. The disobedient prophet. The prophet of 
Bethel. Abijah's sickness. Ahijah's denunciation of Jeroboam. 

(2.) Nadab (15:25-27) : He was killed by Baasha While laying siege 
to the Philistine town, Gibbethon. 

(3.) Baasha (15:27-16:6): He was no reformer but helped Israel 
on in her evil course. He warred with Judah during all his 
reign. 

(4.) Elah (16:6-10): He reigned only two years and was killed by 
Zimri, a captain of his chariots. 

(5.) Zimri (16:11-26): A usurper who reigned only seven days. 
On the approach of Omri's army he burned the king's palace 
over his head and so died. 

(6.- Omri (16:16-28): He was made king by Israel when Zimri 
slew Elah. Tibni contended with him for the kingdom, but 
was overcome. He made Samaria his capital. 

7. Ahab (16:29, 22-40): 

(a) The son of Omri. The record of this king is the most interest- 
ing of all the kings. It is told in a very graphic way. Ahab 
marries Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal of the Zidonians. 



BIBLE STUDY. 



(b) Elijah's prophecy against Ahab. Elijah sent to Zarephath. The 

widow of Zarephath. The son of the widow. 

(c) Elijah goes to confront Ahab (18). Meets Obadiah. Reproves 

Ahab. The contest on Mount Carmel (18:20-40). The great 
rain. Jezebel's threat (19). Elijah's flight. Under the juni- 
per tree. The scene at the cave on Mt. Horeb. The three 
commands. The choosing of Elisha. 

(d) Benhadad besieges Samaria (20). The first demand from Ahab. 

The second demand. Ahab's answer. The siege, the defense 
and victory. Benhadad's second invasion and defeat. Ahab's 
treaty with him. 

(e) The prophet's device to rebuke Ahab for making the treaty. 

(f) The story of Naboth's vineyard (21:1-16). Elijah's denunciation 

of Ahab and Jezebel (17-29). 

(g) The campaign against the Syrians. Ahab joins Jehoshaphat, 

king of Judah. Conflict among the prophets. Zedekiah en- 
courages Ahab and Micaiah warns him against the battle of 
Ramoth-Gilead. Ahab's precautions. 

(8) Ahaziah (22:51, II K.l:18): A weak and idolatrous king. 

Disabled by a fall and seeks help from priests of Baalzebub. 
Elijah predicts his death. Ahaziah sends to take Elijah. The 
fate of the king's troops. The translation of Elijah (2). 

(9) Jehoram (3:1-9:24): 

(a) Mesha of Moab refuses to give tribute.. Jehoram and Jehoshaphat. 

king of Israel, and the king of Edom join forces against 
Mesha. The appeal to Elisha. The ditches of water. The 
Moabites deceived and defeated. The desperate resolution of 
the king of Moab. 

(b) Notable miracles by Elisha: The widow's pot of oil, the 

Shunammite's son, the death in the pot twenty loaves and 
the hundred men (4). Naaman's leprosy (5). Elisha's simple 
remedy. The gifts refused. Gehazi's avarice and duplicity. 
His punishment. The last ax (6). Elisha warns the king of 
Israel of the purposes of the Syrians. The Syrians seek to 
take Elisha and are smitten with blindness. 

'-(c) The siege of Samaria by Benhadad, king of Syria. The sore 
famine. Cannibalism. Jeroboam's anger against Elisha. 
Elisha's prediction (7). The flight of the Syrians. Fulfill- 
ment of Elisha's prediction. 

(d) The Shunammite's land restored. Hazael's message to Elisha from 
Benhadad. Hazael kills his master and succeeds him as 
king of Syria. Jehoram wars against Hazael and is wounded. 
He returns to Jezreel to be healed. 
(9) Elisha sends a young man to anoint Jehu and to announce the 
purpose of the anointing. Jehu's spectacular dash to Jezreel 
to kill Joram. Jehu kills him and throws his body in the 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 13 



field of Naboth. Ahaziah, King of Judah, flees and is killed. 
The arts of Jezebel are lost on Jehu. She is killed and thrown 
to the dogs. 

(10) Jehu (II. Kings 9:1-10:36). Jehu challenges the guardians of 

Ahab's children to put one of them up as king in Samaria 
and contest with him the authority to rule. They submit to 
Jehu and at his request slay Ahab's seventy sons. Slaughter 
of brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah. Meeting Jehonadab. 
Jehu's plan for destroying all the worshippers of Baal. Jehu 
is the first of the kings of Isreal to be mentioned on the monu- 
ments. 

(11) Jehoahaz (13:1-9) : The son of Jehu, a weak king, under whom 

the bad conditions of the kingdom grew worse. He was over- 
come by the Syrians, who wasted his armies and oppressed 
the people. 

(12) Jehoash (13:10, 14:16): The son or Jehoahaz. Consults with 

Elisha. Shows too little energy. Death of Elisha. Jehoash 
defeats the Syrians. Jehoash's message to Amaziah (9, 10). 
He defeats Amaziah and takes Jerusalem and plunders the 
city. 

(13) Jeroboam II. (14:23-29): Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash, raised 

Israel almost to its condition of empire in the days of Solo- 
mon. "He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of 
Hamath unto the sea of the plain." 

(14.) Zachariah (15:8-10): Son of Jeroboam II. He was a weak 
king who reigned but six months. He was killed by Shallum, 
who succeeded him on the throne. 

(15.) Shallum (15:13-14): Shallum, the usurper, reigned but one 
month, when he was killed by Menahem. 

(16.) Menahem (15:14-22): He reigned ten years and is noted 
chiefly because of his tame submission to Pul, king of As- 
syria. He exacted money from Israel to pay tribute to As- 
syria. 

(17.) Pekahiah (15:23-26): Son of Menahem. Was killed by Pekah. 

(18.) Pekah (15:27-16:9): He formed an alliance with Rezin, king 
of Damascus, against Ahaz, king of Judah. Tiglath-pilezer, 
king of Assyria, helped Ahaz. He took Damascus and slew 
Rezin, king of Syria, and wrought havoc in Israel Pekah 
was slain by Hoshea (15:30). 

(19.) Hoshea (17:1-6): Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, subdued 
Hoshea and put him under tribute. Hoshea tried to form an 
alliance with Egypt. Shalmaneser learned this and came up 
and besieged Samaria three years. Taking it, he carried 
Israel away into captivity. Thus ended the history of Israel, 
721 B. C. 



20 BIBLE STUDY. 



III. The Kingdom of Judah. 

1. Its territory: It embraced the mountain portion of the tribe of 

Judah, from the Dead Sea to the Philistine plain and a part 
of Benjamin. 

2. Its government: A monarchy ruled by the line of David, in 

direct succession through nineteen reigns, with the exception 
of Athaliah's usurpation (II Kings 11:1-3). 

3. The duration of the kingdom: Judah lasted more than one hun- 

dred and thirty years longer than Israel. Its retired situa- 
tion and its barriers of mountains saved it from invasion. 
There was greater unity among the people than in Israel. 
They were practically one tribe. Their religion and patriotism 
were centered at Jerusalem. Loyalty to the house of David 
was also a unifying force. All these things together account 
for its endurance. 

4. Periods in its history: 

(1.) The first decline and revival: The reigns of Jeroboam and 
Abijah marked a decline indicated by the Egyptian invasion 
and the growth of idolatry. The reigns of Asa and Jehosha- 
phat showed a revival in reformation, progress, and power. 

(2.) The second decline and revival (889-682): For nearly two 
hundred years after the death of Jehoshaphat the course of 
Judah was downward. Edom was lost under Jehoram, and 
under Joash and Amaziah the land was invaded and Jerusa- 
lem taken and plundered. But a great reformation was af- 
fected under Hezekiah. The yoke of Assyria was thrown off 
and a great Assyrian host was destroyed (II K. 19:30). 

(3.) The third decline and revival (682-610): Hezekiah's reforms 
were succeeded by weakness and corruption under Manasseh. 
For. a time, however, Josiah brought back the kingdom to the 
spirit of the days of Hezekiah. 
(4.) The final decline and fall (610-587): The immediate cause 
of the fall was a political one. There was a struggle between 
Babylon and Egypt for supremacy. Judah took the side of 
Egypt, and as a result Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuch- 
adnezzar, king of Babylon, and the kingdom of Judah was 
extinguished, B. C. 587. 
5. The rulers: Rehoboam (975-957 B. C), Abijah (957-955), Asa 
(955-914), Jehoshophat (914-893), Jehoram (893-885), Ahaziah 
(885-884), Athaliah (854-878), Joash (878-840), Amaziah (840- 
811-, Uzziah or Azariah (811-742), Jotham (742-735), Ahaz 
(735-726), Hezekiah (726-697), Manasseh (697-642), Amon 
(642-640), Josiah (640-609), Jehoahaz (609-608), Jehoachim 
(608-597), Jeboiachin (597), Zedekiah (597-586 B. C). 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 21 



(1.) Rehoboam (I Kings 21:21-24; 14:21-31): The song of Solo- 
mon. The ten* tribes revolt from his rule. The invasion by 
Shishak of Egypt. 

(2.) Abijam (15:1-8): Battled with Israel at Mt. Zemeraim, south 
of Bethel (ILChron. 13:1-22). He took a number of Israel- 
itish cities, but could not subdue the revolted tribes. 
(3.) Asa (15:9-24), II Chron. (14:1-16:14): He suppressed idolatry 
and took away the "high places." He strengthened his army 
and his kingdom. Zerah, the Ethiopian, with his great army, 
was defeated. Asa warred with Baasha, king of Israel, and 
sought the help of Benhadad of Syria. With Syria's help he 
defeated Baasha and stopped his building Ramah. 

(4.) Jehoshaphat (15:24; 22:41-50; II. Kings 3:1-27; II. Chron. 17: 
1-21:1): The son of Asa. Undertook reforms, educational and 
religious, judicial, and military. Sent teachers of God's word 
throughout the kingdom. Formed an alliance with Ahab, 
and married his son Jehoram to Athaliah, Ahab's daughter. 
Disastrous battle with Ahab against the Syrians at Ramoth- 
gilead from which he barely escaped with his life. A con- 
fedracy against Judah by the Moabites the Ammonites, and 
the inhabitants of Mt. Seir, was defeated because the allies 
fell out among themselves. 
(5.) Jehoram (II Kings 8:16-24) II Chron. 21:1-20): Son of Je- 
hoshaphat. Married Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. 
He killed his brothers. The Edomites, Arabians and Philis- 
tines revolted. 

(6.) Ahaziah (II. Kings 8:25-29; 9:27-29; II. Chron. 22:1-9): Son 
of Jehoram. Made alliance with king of Israel which resulted 
disastrously. Slain by Jehu, the Israelitish usurper. 

(7.) Athaliah (11:1-21; II Chron. 22:10-23:21): Widow of Jeho- 
ram and mother of Ahaziah, daughter of Jezabel and Ahab, 
an unscrupulous woman. When Ahaziah was killed she at- 
tempted to kill all the royal seed, but Joash was saved by his 
aunt Jehosheba. At seven years of age he was made king and 
Athaliah was slain. . 

(8.) Joash (II Kings 22:2-12:21; II. Chron. 24:1-7): Son of Ahaziah. 
Under the guidance of the priest Jehoiada he restored the tem- 
ple and instituted many reforms. After the death of Jehoiada 
he slew Zechariah for rebuking him. His kingdom was 
spoiled by the Syrians and later he was assassinated. 
(9.) Amaziah (II Kings 14:1-20; II Chron. 25:1-28): Son of Joash. 
Overcame the Edomites and brought back the gods of Edom 
and worshipped them. Challenged the king of Israel and 
was badly defeated. Finally assassinated. 
(10.) Uzziah (II Kings 14:21-25; II Chron. 26:1-23): Son of 
Amaziah. He was successful against the Philistines, the Arab- 



22 BIBLE STUDY. 



ians, and the Ammonites. He built fortifications and en- 
couraged husbandry. He was smitten- with leprosy and lived 
in seclusion the rest of his days. 

(11.) Jotham (II Kings 15:32-36; II. Chron. 27:1-9): Son of Uzziah. 
He strengthened the fortififications and subdued tne Ammon- 
ites. Isaiah, Hosea and Micah, the prophets, lived in his time. 

(12.) Ahaz (II Kings 16:1-20; II Chron. 28:1-27): Son of Jotham. 
He was a reckless and Godless king. Offered human sacrifices. 
Israel and Syria joined against him and defeated him sorely. 
Formed an alliance with Tiglathpilezer, King of Assyria. Had 
a new altar made fashioned after one he saw at Damascus. 

(13.) Hezekiah (II. Kings 18:1-20:21; II. Chron. 29:1-32:33). Son 
of Ahaz. Cleansed the temple and restored the worship of 
Jehovah, destroyed the groves and idolatrous images. Sen- 
nacherib, king of Assyria, made an expedition against Heze- 
kiah. The king sent him a large tribute, nevertheless, Sen- 
nacherib demanded the surrender of the city. Isiah counseled 
Hezekiah to refuse. He did so and there followed that 
mysterious destruction of the whole Assyrian army. 

(14.) Manasseh (II. Kings 21:1-18; H.Chron. 33:1-20): Son of Heze- 
kiah. He brought back all the abominations of idolatry. He 
was defeated by the Assyrians and taken away captive to 
Babylon. Later he was restored to his throne. 

(15.) Amon (II. Kings 21:19-26; II. Chron. 33:20-25) : Son of Manas- 
seh. He reigned but two years and was assassinated. 

(16.) Josiah (II. Kings 22:1-23; II. Chron. 34:1-35:27): Son of 
Amon. He was a zealous reformer. He destroyed idolatry 
and renovated and repaired the temple. The book of the law 
was found and read and a solemn passover kept. Pharaoh 
Necho of Egypt was going against Babylon and warned Josiah 
not to meddle with him, but Josiah met him in the Valley of 
Megiddo and was killed. 

(17.) Jehoahaz (II. Kings 23:30-34; II. Chron. 36: 4-8). Son of 
Josiah. He reigned but three months and was deposed by 
Pharaoh Necho. He died in Egypt. 

(18.) Jehoiachim II. Kings 23: 34-24:6; II. Chron. 36:4-8): Son of 
Josiah. Put on the throne by Pharoah Necho. Nebuchadnez- 
zar came against Jerusalem, took it, and carried the king away 
to Babylon. 

(19.) Jehoiachin (II Kings 24:6-10; II Chron. 36:9, 10): Son of 
Jehoiachim. Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jerusalem and 
carried away all the treasures of the city and temple, and took 
captive the chief inhabitants, leaving only the poorest to in- 
habit the land. 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 23 



(20.) Zedekiah (II. Kings 24:17-25; II. Chron. 36:11-21): Son of 
Josiah. Placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar. He proved 
treacherous to the king of Babylon and the host of Nebuchad- 
nezzar came against the city of Jerusalem, burnt the temple, 
razed the walls of the city, cast down the houses ana palaces, 
and took the vessels of the temple and many captives to 
Babylon. 

IV. The Captivity of Judah. 

1. Israel was carried into captivity B. C. 721. Judah 587. Israel 

was taken captive by the Assyrians under Sargon; Judah by 
the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar. Israel was taken to 
the cities of the Medes south of the Caspian Sea (II Kings 
17:6). Judah to Chaldea, by the river Euphrates (Ps. 137:1). 
Israel never returned from its captivity. Judah returned and 
existed for many years, though subject to foreign nations 
during most of its history. 

2. The three captivities of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar, king of 

Babylon. (1) Jehoiachim's captivity 607 B. C. (II. Kings 24: 
1, 2). Jehoiachim himself was not taken away but reigned 
several years, and met an ignoble end. (2) Jehoiachin's 
captivity (598) (II. Kings 24:8-16) (Ezek. 1:1-3) . 

3. Zedekiah's captivity (587). Zedekiah had been made king by 

Nebuchadnezzar; but he rebelled against his master. The 
Chaldeans were greatly incensed by these frequent insurrec- 
tions and determined upon the final destruction of the city 
of Jerusalem. The city was destroyed and nearly all the peo- 
ple left alive were taken to the land of Chaldea (II. Kings 25: 
1-11). After this captivity the city lay desolate for fifty years, 
until the consuest of Babylon by Cyrus (536). 

4. The condition of the exiles: 

(1.) The captives were settled in colonies at various points in the 
empire. They received kind treatment and were not regarded 
as convicts (Jer. 29:1-7; Dan. 1:1-6). 

(2.) Their organization: They maintained the integrity of their 
families and their race by maintaining a national organiza- 
tion which provided for a separate government — not in con- 
flict with the laws of the land. 

(3.) Their worship: There were no sacrifices, but they gathered 
for worship and for the reading of the law more faithfully 
than before the exile. There grew up among them tne insti- 
tution called the synagogue, which they carried bacK to Pal- 
estine and which has become established throughout the Jew- 
ish world. This is a meeting for the purpose of worship, read- 
ing the law, and religious instruction. 



2 4 BIBLE STUDY. 



(4.) Their language: There was a change in their language from 
Hebrew to Aramaic or Chaldaic. We learn from Nehemiah 
8:7, that after the captivity they needed an interpreter to 
make plain the language of their own earlier writings. The 
books of the Old Testament, written after the return from 
exile, are in Aramaic, and not in the old Hebrew. 

(5.) Change in habits and character: The Hebrews have preserved 
their identity as a people through centuries of varying ex- 
periences; the captivity could not merge them with foreigners, 
but it did change some of their habits. Before they had been 
a secluded people, mostly farmers; now they became mer- 
chants and traders; they are not men of the fields, but are in 
the cities buying and selling. There was also a transforma- 
tion of character as regards idolatry. Before the exile this 
was the besetting sin of the nation; but among all the warn- 
ings of the later prophets, and the reforms of Ezra and 
Nehemiah, there is no allusion to idolatry. 

(6.) The Jews of the Dispersion: Not all the Jews returned to 
Palestine after the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1) but remained 
in foreign lands and formed "Ghettos" in all the cities of the 
ancient world. They outnumbered the Jews of Palestine and 
were afterwards called "Grecian Jews," from the language 
they spoke (Acts 6:1). The Jews of the Dispersion had tab- 
ernacles in every city, made constant pilgrimages to Jerusa- 
lem and were recognized as sharing the privileges and hopes 
of the Jews of Palestine. 

V. The Return from Exile. 

1. The sources of information: The Books of of Ezra, Nehemiah, 

Haggai, and Zechariah. 

2. The first colony (536 B. C.) : The decree for the return made by 

Cyrus, king of Persia (Ezra 1:1-4). The leader for the jour- 
ney, Zerubbabel. The number, 42,360 (Ez. 2:64; Neh. 7:66). 
The journey was along the banks of the Tigris past the site 
of Nineveh and the ancient city of Haran. Time of the jour- 
ney, four months. Number and names of those who returned 
Ez. 2). Altar set up and foundations of temple laid (Ez. 3). 
Adversaries stop the building of the temple (Ez. 4). The 
prophets Haggai and Zechariah appear and urge the renewal 
of the building operations. The temple completed and dedi- 
cated (Ez. 5 and 6). Zerubbabel is governor, Joshua is high 
priest, Haggai and Zechariah are prophets. 

3. The second colony (Ezra 7-10) : An interval of almost sixty years 

from the time df the first colony. Leader Ezra. He is given 
permission and letters to go to Jerusalem by Artaxerxes, king 
of Persia. The caravan numbered 1,596 people (Ez. 7:8-31). 



HISTORICAL OUTLINES. 



Ezra and his colony arrive and offer sacrifices (8:32-36). Ezra 
begins to reform the abuses; the people repent ana put away 
their sins (9-10). 

4. Third expedition to Jerusalem (Book of Nehemiah) : Nehemiah 

does not appear to have led any colony to Jerusalem but came 
himself and infused his own energy and indomitable courage 
into the Jews so that they rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. 

5. The four parts of the Book of Nehemiah: 

(1.) An account of the coming of Nehemiah to Jerusalem, of the 

rebuilding of the walls, and the reforming of abuses. (Neh. 

1-7.) 
<2) The wonderful revival of interest in the scriptures. The feast 

of tabernacles. The solemn covenant. Ezra is here given the 

most prominent part. 
(3.) List of dwellers in Jerusalem and country towns, also lists of 

priestly anl Levitical families (11:1-12:26). 
(4.) An account of the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem about 

twelve years after its completion and the reforms instituted 

by Nehemiah upon his second visit to the city (12:27-13:31). 



Literary Outlines 



A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JOB. 

Introductory : 

The author of the book of Job is unknown. The date is 
supposed to be between the time of King Solomon and of the 
Exile, about 600 B. C. In form it is a dramatic poem framed in an 
epic setting. The prologue, the epilogue, and the explanatory intro- 
duction to Elihu's speech (ch. 32), are prose, the remainder of the 
book is poetry. There is plainly a unity pervading the book, though 
many learned scholars declare that it is a composite work, and is 
made of successive additions. 

The poem is here discussed under six divisions: The Prologue, 
The Debate, The Interposition of Elihu, The Theophany, The Epi- 
logue, and the Problem — Its Meaning and Solution. 

Characters of the Drama : 

The Lord — Has a majestic part; fittingly introduced in a thunder 
storm; his words full of power and sublimity; kind, just, forgiving. 

Satan — Not a very powerful or bad character; a sort of prosecut- 
ing attorney for the world. 

Job — A wealthy shiek; hero of the drama; of magnificent courage, 
humble patience, strong faith, and promethean independence. 

Eliphaz — Prince and scholar of Teman; oldest and wisest of the 
three friends; dignified, noble character; firm in his opinions; of 
plain, common sense; a seer of visions and a dreamer of dreams; a 
venerable theologian. 

Bildad — Prince of Shuah; a sage, and a treasure house of the wis- 
dom of the ancients; his philosophy not broad, but clear, definite; his 
fundamental creed — God's justice; a traditionalist. 

Zophar — Prince and scholar of Naamah; dogmatic and bigoted; 
commonplace, sharp, and bitter; prides himself on being "a plain, 
blunt man." 

Elihu — A young prince and scholar of Buz; egotistic, though he 
dwells on his modesty; shows the confidence of youth; makes a strong 
plea. 

Job's wife — She appears but once; can not understand Job's atti- 
tude; too much maligned. 

Four messengers — Field hand, shepherd, drover, household servant. 

Sons of God — Angels; possibly human worshippers. 

Job's brethren, sisters, and acquaintances. 

A miscellaneous company of people from the village. 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 27 



The Prose Prologue. (Chaps, i and 2). 

A series of five scenes, changing from earth to heaven and back 
again; the time, several weeks or months. 

Scene 1. — Earth: Job at home, prosperous, peaceful, happy. 

Scene 8. — Heaven: Council of Jehovah, sons of God, and Satan. 
Satan goes on his mission. 

Scene 3. — Earth: Job at home in Uz — one messenger after another 
comes in — a herder — a shepherd — a drover — a house-servant — all with 
news of calamity. 

Scene 4. — Heaven: Second council — Jehovah — sons of God, Satan. 
Satan reports and excuses his failure. 

Scene 5. — Earth: An ash heap near the village; Job a leper; 
friends sitting in silence; relatives and citizens. 

The Debate. 

Introductory: The Curse (Chap. 3). 

1. Job calls down curses on the day of his birth (1-10). 

2. "Since it was my fate to be born, why died I not at my birth?" 
(11-19). 

3. Why does God continue life to the wretched who long for 
death? 

First Cycle : 

Eliphaz: (Ch. 4-5). 1. The comforter comfortless; why should 
Job, who has comforted so many, fall into such deep despair? calamity 
destroys only the wicked; the afflctions of the righteous have a dif- 
ferent purpose. 

2. (a) The unapproachable purity of God. This truth revealed 
in a vision. 

(b) Application to Job. Which of the holy ones will stand for 
him and against God? Man can not be right in complaining against 
God. 

3. (a) Job should seek unto God. The good are exalted and the 
wicked punished as the result of God's benevolent plans and purposes. 

Job should feel happy that God is testing him. This chastening 
is for his good. God smites only to heal. The purpose is to lead him 
into a broader, richer life, where he will be in league with nature 
and every creature. 

Job: 1. (6:1-13). He defends himself against Eliphaz's remon- 
strances. It is the idea that God is against him that hurts him. He 
declares that all resources within him and all hope are gone. 

2. (14-30). He laments the attitude of his friends and charac- 
terizes them as fickle and unfeeling. 

3. (7:1-21). Lamentation and appeal. Outburst of despair. The 



2 8 BIBLE STUDY. 



feeling of the hopeless brevity of life overwhelms the sufferer and he 
turns in supplication to God. 

Bildad: 1. (8:1-7). He does not defend the friends' cruel be- 
havior — is silent on it; his speech is against the general drift of 
Job's words. The discriminating righteousness of God: Instances — the 
destruction of Job's children and the offer of restoration to Job. 
2. (8-19) His doctrine rests upon the wisdom of the ancients. 3. The 
principle on both sides. Application to Job. 

Job: 1. (9) God's might and terror will prevent man from estab- 
lishing his innocence, in his plea to God. God is a great irresponsible 
Force. Here Job brings the most terrible charges against God. 

2. (10) Job's new appeal to God. What can there be in God's 
nature to explain his terrible sufferings. One supposition after an- 
other — but all found to be contradictory to God's true nature, unless 
God's character is shown best in the possibility that kindness was 
formerly shown that later suffering might be greater. Perplexed and 
in despair Job wishes he had never seen the light. 

Zophar: 1. (11:1-6) Preliminary personalities more severe than 
Bildad's. A wish that God would appear to Job and reveal to him the 
dephts of divine wisdom or omniscience — then he should be made to 
know his sin. 

2. (7-12) This thought leads Zophar into a panegyric of wisdom — 
how its detection of men's hidden sins accounts for the sudden calami- 
ties that come upon them. 

3. Exhortation to Job to put away evil — and enjoy prosperity! 
Job: 1. (12:1-6) He resents the assumed superiority of his 

friends. Sarcastic admiration of their wisdom. This knowledge is 
common. He laments the depths to which he must have # fallen when 
his friends take it on themselves to inflict such commonplaces on him. 

2. (12:1-22) Job knows the divine wisdom as well as his friends. 
The application of their maxims to him is false. He desires to plead 
his cause before God, but their knowledge helps him not. 

3. (13:23-28) (a) Job makes his plea: What are my sins? Why 
does one so great pursue one so insignificant? 

(b) (14) Job's reference to his own feebleness widens his view, 
and he speaks of the whole race. 

(c). Death is an eternal sleep. Man's death is sadder and more 
hopeless than that of a tree. 

(d). The vision of immortality — impassioned desire for another 
life. 

(e). Surely the darkness and suffering and insufficiency of this 
life demand another life. 

Second Cycle: 
Eliphaz: (15:16) (a) Job claims to be a wise man — does a 
wise man use vain and empty words? He is not only unwise, he is 
impious. 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 29 



(b). (7-10). Upon what rests his assumption of superior wisdom? 

(c). (11-16). Why does he allow his passions to carry him away? 
Can a man be pure before God? 

2. The troubled conscience and the disastrous fate of the wicked 
man. 

(a). (17-19). Traditions of the uncorrupted races. • 

(b). (20-35). The troubled conscience — causes and punishments. 
Job: 1. (16:1-5). Job expresses his weariness at the monotony of 
his friends' speeches. "Any one could give the miserable comfort you 
are giving," he says. 

2. (6-17). He declares that he is innocent of all wrong. Yet 
God and men combine to pursue him. God's hostility pictured as a 
great beast and a picture given of the petty foes that howl at the 
heels of their greater enemy. 

3. (16:18-17:1-9). But this cruel fate cannot forever prevail. He 
prays that his blood may lie open on the earth to appeal for his vin- 
dication. He has his Witness in heaven. 

4. (10-16) Job repudiates the hopes held out by his friends, be- 
cause he feels that he so surely belongs to death. 

Bildad: (18) Job had used very hard words about his friends; he 
had spoken impiously of God; and appealed to the earth as a witness 
to rise up on his side — so Bildad is indignant. 

1. (1-4) He asks how long Job will simply hunt for words with- 
out coming to some basis for argument, and if he expects the moral 
(order of the world to be changed to pleasie him. 

2. (5-21) According to the moral order of the world the light of 
the wicked must of necessity be put out. All things hasten his ruin. 
Weakness, disease and death attack him. His name and race shall 
be extinguished, and men shall feel horror at hisi fate and memory. 

Job: 1. (19:1-6) Complaint that the friends are hard and relent- 
less. If they must know the cause of his anguish — he is in God's net. 

2. (7-12) A dark picture of God's desertion of him, and terrible 
hostility to him. "He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the 
crown from my head." This he feels when he realizes that God counts 
him a transgressor. God has made a hostile assault on him, brought 
on him abhorrence of men. Overwhelmned by the thought of God's 
hostility, he pleads for the compassion of men. Then he turns to the 
future: "O that the record of my innocence might be inscribed on the 
rock!" He knows that he will one day be vindicated. The speech 
closes with a brief threat against his persecuting friends. 

Zophar: (20:1-3) Job's words exasperate Zophar. He is forced to 
reply. 

1. (4-11). From the beginning of the world the prosperity of the 
wicked has been short. 

2. (12-29) His sin which is a dainty morsel to him, shall be 
changed into bitter punishment. His want shall always equal his 



30 BIBLE STUDY. 



avarice. The wrath of God always is the reward of his) greed. He 
shall be sated with God's judgments. 

Job: (21:1-6) "If ye would console me, let me speak. Let me 
unfold the mystery of God's providence, then ye may mock." 

1. The mystery of "the prosperity of the wicked." Experience 
shows 1:hat the wicked, their children, and their possessions are safe 
from the wrath of God. Though they refuse to serve him, they live 
in wealth and die in peace. How often does sudden calamity come 
upon the wicked? There is no diversity in the fate of the righteous 
and wicked. "I know what your insinuations mean; but those who 
know the world know that your false and faithless theories are 
valueless." 

Third Cycle : 
Eliphaz: 1. (22:1-5) God is too lofty to be influenced by things 
profitable to himself. He can not be punishing Job for righteousness — 
it must be for sin. 

2. (6-11) Specific accusations against Job: "Being a great man, 
you have thought the earth is yours, and have been hard, unjust, 
and cruel." 

3. (12-20) Job doubtless thought that God was too far away to 
know his sins. So thought the people before the flood; but God will 
always punish ingratitude and sin. 

4. (21-30) An exhortation: Return to Jehovah. Cease to do evil. 
God will hear you and make you prosperous again. 

Job: (23) The mysterious injustice suffered by Job at the hand 
of God. 

1. (1-7) He longs for a chance to plead before God that he might 
show his innocence. Now he is sure that God would not overwhelm 
him with the greatness of His power. 

2. (8-12) "I can not find him. He hides himself from me — for 
he knows that I am innocent." 

3. (13-17) "God is resolute in his enmity. He has resolved to 
destroy me." So the moral riddle of God's government in the world 
perplexes and paralyzes Job. 

4. (24) Job misses divine rectitude in the world at large, as 
well as in his individual case. Evidently God has no "court days." 

(a). (2-4) General instances of injustice. 

(b). (5-8) Particular examples of those who suffer injustice. 

(c). (9-12) Other sufferersi — serfs and bondsmen of the rich. 

(d). Others who sin secretely and God regardeth it not. 

(e). (18-25) You say that the portion of the wicked is cursed 
upon the earth, but God is merciful to them. They rise, flourish, and 
die as others. Who can deny this? 

Bildad: (25) God rules over all the universe — majestic and omnip- 
otent. Man can not possibly contend with him. 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 31 



Job: 1. (26:1-4) Job inquires how such speeches can help one in 
his perplexity. Sarcastically he asks under what inspiration Bildad 
p.ad spoken. 

2. (26:5-14) Job speaks eloquently of the power and greatness of 
God — suggesting to Bildad that he may not know as much of the 
mysteries of the heavens and the counsels of Jehovah as he lias pro- 
fessed to know. 

3. (27:1-6) He protests his innocence and integrity, and declares 
that he will hold fast his independence as long as he lives. He will 
not lie, even for God. 

Zophar: 1. (27:7-10) Dreary and desolate is the condition of the 
mind of the wicked in times of affliction. 

2 (11-23) The wicked meet a disastrous fate at God's hands. He 
has no resource in time of trouble. His children are destroyed. His 
wealth will be enjoyed by others, and he shall be utterly destroyed. 
Men shall rejoice at his death with malignant gladness. 

3. (28) The search for wisdom, (a) (1-14) Precious ores have a 
place, but wisdom has no place. 

(b). (15-19) The place and price of wisdom. 

(c)» (20-28) God alone knows its place and its price. But he 
has declared unto men that the fear of the Lord is man's wisdom. 

Job: (29) A sorrowful retrospect of Job's past greatness and 
happiness. 

1. (1-10) Enumeration of various things that made him happy 
and universally reverenced. 

2. (11-17) Reasons for his popularity and the reverence paid him. 

3. (18-20) His calm outlook into the future. 

4. (21-25) His high place and great influence. 
Job: (Ch. 30). The reverse side of the picture. 

1. (1-8). His present abject condition. Even the miserable ones 
hold him in contempt. 

2. (9-15) An enumeration of the indignities which he has suffered 
at the hands of the contemptible ones. They have thrown off all 
restraint. 

3. (16-23) Account of the fearful condition to which he has been 
reduced — despondency of mind, gnawing pains, utter wretchedness. He 
cries unto God and He looks on him with utter indifference. 

4. (24-31) A final pathetic picture contrasting his present joyless 
condition with his former life filled with compassion for others and 
full of music and gladness. 

The Oath of Clearing (Ch. 31). 

Job clears himself of all charges of sinful thoughts, desires, 
and practices', of tyranny, cruelty and injustice. 

1. (1-12) He is innocent of all sensual desires and conduct. 

2. (13-23) He indignantly denies that he has abused his power, 
or has been indifferent to the sufferings of others. 



32 BIBLE STUDY. 



3. (24-40) He clears himself of every secret dishonorable feeling 
against man or God. He appeals to the Almighty to hear him, fixes 
his signature to his protestations of innocence — and longs for the 
specific charge that God may have against him. 

Elihu's Intervention. 

Introduction of Elihu. 

Prose statement of the cause of Elihu's interposition (32:1-5). 

Elihu gives reasons for his interposition (32:6-22). 

(a). How he had listened and waited. 

(b). His ability and eagerness. 

(c). Soliloquy explaining further his attitude. 

Elihu's First Reply (33). 

(a). He declares his purpose, and calls Job to answer him — that 
he will represent God. 

(b). He quotes some of Job's declaration of innocence and of 
God's injustice. 

(c). The answer — The moral nature of God is such that he can 
not act unjustly as Job has charged. 

(d). And he does speak to me through visions. 

(e). His purpose, is to withdraw them from sin. 

(f). He speaks also through chastenings. 

(g). But the divine messenger will come and there is restoration 
to righteousness and prosperity. 

(h). These chastenings are allowed that man's soul may be 
brought "back from the pit." 

(i). An appeal to Job to answer or listen and learn. 

Elihu's Second Reply (34). 

(a). Introductory request for a hearing from "ye wise men." 

(b). What Job's case against God is: "I am righteous, but God's 
affliction accounts me a liar/' 

(c). This charge is unjust; it is impious. 

(d). God has no motive to act unjustly; he arranges the' world 
himself. 

(e). All life is continued simply by his forbearance. 

(f). "The king can do no wrong." One who hateth right could 
not govern. 

(g). Evidences of God's care and justice — His eyes are on the 
ways of men and he punishes unerringly. 

(h). God is all powerful. Who can question his rule? The inev- 
itableness of his decrees proves their justice. 

(i). No one has ever dared to question God's acts as you are 
doing. 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 33 



(j). All wise men will agree with me that Job's words are 
without wisdom. 

Elihu's Third Reply (35). 

(a). Statement of the question: If Job declares that he is more 
righteous than God; that righteousness is not profitable — Elihu will 
answer. 

(b). God is too exalted to be touched by anything human. He 
is not affected by Job's righteousness or his wickedness. Men are 
affected by these things, but not God. 

(c). God does not always hear the cry of men — but it is when 
they do not cry in words of real worship. 

(d). Much less will he hear Job, whose cry is a complaint. 

(e). Job's vain mouthings are made possible by God's forbearance. 

EHhu's Fourth Reply (36-37). 

(a). Introduction — Elihu declares that he has further defense 
for God, that he will speak comprehensively and ascribe righteousness 
to God, for he has no doubt of his own infallibility! 

(b). God is great and powerful. He exalteth and debaseth. He 
shows man his sins; if he repents he may spend his days in prosperity; 
if he hearkens/ not, he shall perish. 

(c). God would have led Job "into a broad place," but he has 

chosen to assume the attitude of the wicked man. 
(d). The greatness and unsearchableness of God are seen in the 
phenomena of nature. 

(e). An appeal to Job to consider these marvelous things. 

Divine Intervention. 

The Voice Out of the Whirlwind (38-39). 
"Shall mortal man contend with God?" 

1. The wonders of inanimate nature are reviewed to show the 
greatness of Jehovah and the littleness of men. 

(a). The wonders of the earth. 
(b). The wonders of the heavens. 

2. The greatness of Jehovah's power as shown in his creation of 
animal life. The lion and the raven; the goats and hinds; the wild 
ass; the wild ox; the ostrich; the war-horse; the hawk and the eagle. 

Second Answer Out of the Whirlwind (40-42). 
Shall man charge God with unrighteousness in his rule of the 
world? 

1. Let Job assume the rule of the world himself. For this he 
must do two things — assume omnipotence and curb the wicked. 

2. Does Job have power great enough to conquer the two great 
monsters — the behemoth and the leviathan? Description of these great 



3 4 BIBLE STUDY. 



creatures. If thou dare not stir these monsters, how shalt thou stand 
before me and charge me with unrighteousness? 

3. Job confesses his ignorance and impotence, declares his hu- 
mility and repents of his unbelief, in dust and ashes. 

The Epilogue;. 

Job having humbled himself before God, is restored to a prosperity 
two-fold that which he enjoyed before (42:7-17). 

1. Job is commanded to intercede for his three friends, lest their 
folly should be visited upon them, because they spoke not that which 
was right concerning Jehovah. This doubtless means that their the- 
ories in regard to God's province and the meaning of affliction were 
-not right. 

2. He is restored to prosperity, and is given twice as much as 
he had before. His friends who had stood aloof now come back to 
-him to comfort him and show their affection by gifts of gold. 

3. His blessings do not stop with the restoration of his property 
and his friends, but his home is made happy by the return of his ten 
children, seven stalwart sons, and three fair daughters: Jemima, the 
dove; Kezzia, the aromatic spice; and Kerren,happuch, the maiden of 
the bright eyes. In all the land no women were found so fair as the 
daughters of Job. So worthy were they that he disregards the 
Hebrew practice and gives them an inheritance, even though he 
has seven sons. With his children of three generations he lives in 
happiness for more than a century and dies, being old and full of days. 

The Problem of the Book oe Job and the Solutions Oeeered. 

"Problem: The mystery of human suffering. 
^Solutions : 

-1. Suffering is heaven's test of goodness. This is maintained in 
the introduction to the book. 

2. The very righteousness of God is involved in the doctrine that 
all suffering is a judgment for sin. Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad 
strenuously support this thesis. 

3. Suffering is one of the voices by which God would warn man 
to cease from wickedness, and by which he would restore him to spir- 
itual health. This solution is elaborately presented by Elihu. 

4. The whole universe is an unfathomed and unfathomable mys- 
tery- The good is as mysterious as the evil. The greatness and grand- 
eur of the universe with its secret and uncontrollable forces, should 
teach man that there are problems which he can not solve, questions 
that must remain unanswered. The proper attitude to take is one of 
humility and trustfulness. The "Theophany" teaches this and does, 
in fact, induce in Job such a state of mind. 

5. The proper attitude of mind toward the question of human 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 35 



suffering is the same as that which should be assumed toward all 
truth. A man should stand for his honest convictions at all hazards. 
Wherever truth leads him, let him go there fearlessly. The unyield- 
ing integrity of Job that could even reproach God when his rule in 
the world seemed unjust, was more acceptable to Him than the servile 
adoration of the three friends, which sought to twist the truth in order 
to magnify God. 

THE BOOK OF RUTH. 

Introduction : 

In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is classed among the Ketu- 
bim, or "Writings," which are the third group of the books of the 
canon in sacredness and value. It is one of the five books which are 
read publicly in the synagogues, at certain sacred seasons: The Song 
of Songs at the Passover; Ruth at Pentecost; Lamentations on the 
ninth of Ab, the day on which Jerusalem was destroyed; Ecclesiastes 
at the Feast of Tabernacles; and Esther at the Feast of Purim. 

The date of the Book of Ruth is a subject of much controversy. 
The language seems to indicate a date after the exile. However, 
this is said, by some scholars, to be not decisive enough to weigh 
against other strong considerations. The fact that the writer speaks 
of the custom of taking off the shoe at the transfer of certain rights 
and privileges as an archaic one, would indicate a late date. It has 
been wisely suggested that it was written in Ezra's time; that the 
severity of the rules regarding foreign wives was not universally 
approved and some writer of the time wishing to rebuke the narrow 
exclusiveness of Ezra, produced the story of Ruth to teach a lesson 
of liberality and toleration. 

Analysis of the Story: 

Scene I (1:1-5). ^ ne Calamity. 
A famine in Judea. Elimelech and Naomi, and their sons Mah- 
lon and Chilion seek refuge in Moab, a heathen country. Elimilech 
diesi. The two sons marry women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth. After 
ten years both husbands die and leave the three widows in poverty 
and distress. 

Scene 2(1 16-22). On the Road to Moab. 
Naomi turns toward the land of her fathers. Orpah and Ruth 
go with her. But Naomi said, "Turn again my daughters." The 
love that forsakes: "and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law." The love 
that is steadfast: "but Ruth clave unto her/' The classic formula of 
devotion. The arrival: "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara." 

Scene 3 (2:1-17). I n the Barley Field. 
Ruth the gleaner: "and her hap was to light on the portion of the 



36 BIBLE STUDY. 



field belonging to Boaz. Boaz the bountiful: "Go not to glean in an- 
other field." "And also pull out some for her from the bundles." 

The meal of the reapers: "Come hither and eat of the bread 
and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers." 
Humble prosperity: "and she beat out that which she had gleaned, 
and it was an ephah of barley." 

Scene 4 (2:18-23). In the Home of Naomi. 
Naomi sees the bountiful gleaning and rejoices and blesses 
Boaz. She counsels Ruth to glean in no other fields. 

Scene 5 (3). At the Winnowing Floor. 

Naomi's appeal to the Levirate custom. She gives minute 
directions to Ruth. Ruth goes to the thresting-floor. The mid- 
night interview. Boaz accepts the responsibility — if it shall prove 
to be his right. Ruth returns home. 

Scene 6 (4:1-12). At the City Gate. 

The place of justice The jury of ten. The kinsman's decision: 
Redeeming the land by custom of the shoe. The marriage and the 
witnesses. 

Scene 7. Naomi the Happy. 

The birth of Obed. Bitterness comforted. "And Naomi took 
the child and laid it in her bosom and nursed it." The royal de- 
scenant. 

Purposes: (1) To give an account of David's ancestors. (2) 
To enforce the obligation to marry a kinsman's widow. (3) As a 
counterblast to Ezra's crusade against foreign wives. But what 
other motive is necessary than the simple pleasure of telling a 
beautiful, idyllic, charming love story? 

ESTHER— A DRAMA OF THE COURT. 

Introductory : 

Esther is the last of the historical books in the Bible. There 
are those who declare that it is not fit to be in the canon, that the 
name of God is not in it, neither is his spirit; Luther said that it 
is full of all heathen naughtiness. It is hard to understand such 
strictures as these when the book is really delightful as a story 
and full of striking lessons. 

The book is here presented as a drama, although it does not 
have the regular dramatic form. However, it has all the interest 
of a stirring tragedy, and the action proceeds very much as in 
regular drama. 

The scene is laid at Shushan, the palace, in Susa, the Persian 
capital, situated a few hundred miles north of the Persian gulf. 
It was one of the oldest seats of civilization. The time can not 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 37 



be made out exactly, but if Ahasuerus is the historical Xerxes, the 
date is about 470 B. C. 

The chief characters are as follows: 

Ahasuerus, who is recognized as being the Xerxes of history, 
who was vainglorious, cowardly, luxurious pussillanimous, licen- 
tious, and bloodthirsty. 

Mordecai, a Jew, a man of ability, honesty, uprightness, and 
courage. 

Esther, the beautiful heroine of the play, the cousin and 
adopted daughter of Mordecai, as lovely in character as she was 
in person. 

Haman, a man of low parentage, a scheming politician, 
haughty, vindictive, shrewd, and unscrupulous. 

Vashti, the queen of whom we know but little except that she 
showed good sense and modesty in refusing to come into the pres- 
ence of the drunken revellers. 

The story has the five acts found in the classic drama with 
a brief epilogue: 

Act 1. Esther's elevation to the throne (chap. 1-2). 
Act 2. Hainan's plot and Esther's troubles (3-4). 
Act. 3. Esther's courage and Hainan's fall (5-6-7). 
Act 4. Esther's undoing of Haman's plot and Mordecai's eleva- 
tion to Haman's place (8). 

Act 5. Esther's deliverance of her people and the institution 
of Purim (9). 

Epilogue: The glory of Ahasuerus and the greatness of 
Mordecai (10). 

Act I. Esther's Elevation to the Throne. 

Scene 1. (1:1-9) The great feast of 180 days. The special 
feast of seven days. The elaborate preparations. The rule of 
drinking. 

Scene 2. (10-22) The last day of the feast Vashti called. 
Her refusal. The king's question. Memucan's suggestion. The 
deposing of Vashti The king's decree. 

Scene 3. (2:1-18) The advice of the king's servants con- 
cerning a new queen. The gathering of the maidens. Esther is 
among them. She is the most charming of all and is chosen queen. 
The ceremony of her crowning and her feast. 

Scene 4. (21-23) Bigthan and Teresh plot against the life of 
the king. Mordecai makes known the plot to Esther and she warns 
the king. The two plotters are hanged. 

Act II. Haman's Plot and Esther's Trouble. 
Scene 1. (3:1-6) Promotion of Haman. Decree demanding 
obeisance to Haman. Mordecai refuses to bow — looks the other 
way. Mordecai is warned. Haman is informed of Mordecai's 



38 BIBLE STUDY. 



refusal to honor him. He plans revenge against the whole He- 
brew race. 

Scene 2. (8-11) Hainan goes before the king and makes his 
request for the lives of the Jews and promises 10,000 talents for 
the king's treasury. The king refuses the money, but gives Haman 
full power. The king's scribes send out the decree "to destroy, to 
kill, and to cause to perish" all the Jews. 

Scene 3. (7) The casting of the lots. The lots will not fix 
a near date. The massacre is put off eleven months. 

Scene 4. (4:1-17) Mordecai puts on sackcloth and ashes and 
mourns. Esther's message to him. His message in turn. Esther's 
reply — she is powerless to do anything. Mordecai's persistence — 
"who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such 
a time as this?" Esther's courageous resolve. 

Act III. Esther's Courage and Hainan's Fall. 

Scene 1. (5:1-5) Esther's dramatic appeal to the king The 
king holds out the golden scepter. Esther invites him to a ban- 
quet and asks that Haman may come, too. 

Scene 2. (6-S) The banquet. Esther pleases the king. He 
asks her to make known her wish. She defers her plea to the 
morrow, and invites him and Haman to another banquet. 

Scene 3. (9-14) Hainan's elation. He passes Mordecai and 
is filled with wrath. He boasts to his wife and friends. Shows his 
anger against Mordecai. His wife suggests a gallows, a request 
of the king, and the hanging of Mordecai. Haman has the gal.ows 
built. 

Scene 4. (6:1-3) The sleepless king. The court records are 
read. The record shows that Mordecai had saved the life of the 
king against two conspirators. "What honor and dignity hath been 
bestowed on Mordecai for this?" "There is nothing done for him." 
The king falls asleep. 

Scene 5. (4-10) "Who is in the court?" asks the king awak- 
ing. Haman was waiting at the door to make his request for the 
head of Mordecai. Haman comes in. "What shall be done unto 
the man whom the king delights to honor?" asks the king of Ha- 
man. Haman thinking himself the man, suggests a most signal 
honor. "Mordecai is the man," cries the king. 

Scene 6. (11-14) The procession through the streets. Mor- 
decai returns in humility to his post. Haman goes to his home 
"mourning and having his head covered." The chamberlain comes 
to hasten him to the banquet. He is not now so anxious to go. 

Scene 7. (7:1-10) The second banquet. Esther has completely 
won the king. He is willing to grant any request from her. With 
dramatic intensity she accuses Haman, the Jew's arch enemy, of 
plotting the death of her people. The king is enraged against 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 39 



Haman and condemns him to death at once. He is hanged on the 
gallows prepared for Mordecai. 

Act IV. Esther's Undoing of Haman's Wrong and Mordi- 
cai's Elevation to the Premiership. 

Scene 1. (8:1-2) Haman's house given to Esther. Mordecai 
made prime minister. 

Scene 2. (3-17) Esther again a suppliant at the feet of the 
king. She asks for a reversal of the decree against the Jews. It 
can not be repealed. But a counter decree is sent out to all the 
127 provinces of the kingdom. Mordecai now appears clothed in 
his gorgeous robes of state "and the city of Shushan rejoiced and 
was glad." 

Act V. Esther's Deliverance of Her People and the Insti- 
tution of Purim. 

Scene 1. (9:1-11) The thirteenth day of the month of Adar has 
come. There is bloody strife throughout the kingdom. Seventy- 
five thousand of the Jews' enemies are slain; 500 in the palace; 
and Haman's ten sons. 

Scene 2. (12-16) Esther again appears before the king. She 
asks for a second day of slaughter in Shushan. The plea is granted. 
On the 14th 300 more people are killed, and the bodies of Haman's 
ten sons are hanged on, the gallows. 

Scene 3. (17-32) The Jews name t$he days of slaughter 
"Purim" and institute a memorial feast. Esther and Mordecai send 
orders to all the Jews of the kingdom, to observe the days of 
Purim — the 14th and 15th of the month of Adar. 

Epilogue. The Glory of Ahasuerus and the Greatness of 
Mordecai (X). 

King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the isles of 
the sea; and Mordecai was next unto the king and great among 
the Jews. 

Lessons : 

1. The presence of an overruling providence: The result of 
the lots. The reading of the court records. Esther's elevation to 
the throne. 

2. "When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice 
(8:15), but when the wicked beareth rule: the pjeople mourn 
(3:15)." 

3. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit be- 
fore a fall. 

Courage and faithfulness will win. Examples — both Esther 
and Mordecai. 



40 BIBLE STUDY. 



5. There is a large measure of retribution in this world. 
Mordecai and Haman present an illustration of poetic justice. 

6. God cares for his children individually. The name of 
God is not in the book, but his presence is there. 

THE SONG OF SONGS. 

Introduction : 

There is much difference of opinion as to the proper interpre- 
tation of the Song of Songs. This difference has existed among 
both Jewish and Christian scholars. By the Jews it was interpreted 
as an allegory. The Targum makes it represent the entire history 
of Israel from the Exodus to the future Messiah. The same method 
was adopted by the early Christian fathers who made Solomon rep- 
resent Christ and the Shulamite, the church. 

There are various opinions, too, concerning the form of the 
poem. One that has been held for a long time and has been given 
prominence lately by Budde is that it consists of a series of lyric 
idyls, marriage songs. It is explained that even today there is a 
Syrian custom of celebrating weddings by such ceremonies as are 
presented in this poem. The celebration lasts seven days, which 
are called "The King's Week," because the young groom and his 
bride play the parts of king and queen and receive the homage of 
a large company of their relatives and friends, seated on a kind 
of throne erected for them on a threshing floor — as a place of honor. 
The ceremonies cons:'st partly of marriage songs accompanied by 
dances, participated in by the wedding attendants, a chorus of men 
and women, and the young pair themselves. 

While it may be that these customs explain the song; while 
it is possible thus to divide it into dramatic lyrics and regard them 
as a suite of wedding songs, it is possible also, and more interesting 
and pleasing to look upon it as a drama. 

There are two views of the poem as a drama. According to 
one of these, the traditional view, there are but two main characters 
by whom the dialogue is sustained, king Solomon and a Shulamite 
maiden of whom he is enamored. According to the other view 
there are three principal characters, Solomon, the Shulamite 
maiden, and her shepherd lover. The following outline presents 
this latter view. 

Brief synopsis of the story: "A beautiful Shulamite maiden, 
surprised by the king and his train on a royal progress in the 
north, has been brought to the palace in Jerusalem where the king 
hopes to win her affections, and to induce her to exchange her 
rustic home for the honor and enjoyments which a court life could 
afford. She has, however, already pledged her heart to a young 
shepherd; and the admiration and blandishments which the king 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 41 



lavishes upon her are powerless to make her forget him In the 
end she is allowed to return to her mountain home, where, at the 
close of the poem, the lovers appear hand in hand, and express in 
warm and glowing words, the superiority of genuine, spontaneous 
affection over that which may be purchased by wealth or rank." 

According to Ewald the poem may be divided into five acts 
and thirteen scenes. 

Act I (i \2-2 \j). 

Scene 1. The Shulamite and the ladies of the court: The 
Shulamite longs for the caresses of her absent shepherd-lover, 
complains that she is detained in the palace against her will and 
inquires eagerly where he may be found (2-7). The ladies of the 
court reply ironically (8). 

Scene 2. King Solomon enters: He seeks to win the Shu- 
lamite's love (9-11). She parries the king's compliments and in 
an aside (13-14) speaks reminiscences of her absent lover. Sol- 
omon (15). The Shulamite (aside) (16-2:1). Solomon (2). The 
Shulamite (aside) (3-7). She sinks down, in a fit of half-delirious 
sickness (5-6). She reminds the ladies of the court that love is 
spontaneous and entreats them not to excite it artificially in Sol- 
omon's favor (7). 

Act II. (2:8-3:5). 

Scene 1. The STiulamite's reminiscence of her lover's visit: 
She recounts a scene from her past life (8-15). The scene is of 
a visit which her lover once paid her in her rural home, inviting 
her to accompany him through the fields (10-14); and she repeats 
the words of the ditty which she then sang to him (15). She 
declares her unalterable devotion to him, and expresses the wish 
that the separation between them may come quickly to an end 
(16-17). 

Scene 2. The Shulamite's first dream: The Shulamite nar- 
rates a dream which she had recently while in the royal pal- 
ace (1-5). She had seemed to go in search of her absent lover 
through the city, and to her joy she found him (1-4). She repeats 
the refrain of 2:7. The dream reflects her waking feelings and 
emotions. In the economy of the poem it serves to explain to the 
chorus the state of the heroine's feelings; and the adjuration (5) 
follows appropriately: let them not seek to stir up an unwilling 
love; even in her dreams she is devoted to another. 

Act III (3:6-5:8). 

Scene 1. Citizens of Jerusalem assembled in front of the 
gates." In the distance a royal pageant is seen approaching: First 
citizen (6). Second citizen (7-8). Third citizen (9-11). The 
intention of this spectacle is to dazzle the rustic girl with a 



42 BIBLE STUDY. 



of the honor awaiting her if she will consent to become the king's 
bride. In the palanquin is Solomon himself, wearing the crown of 
state which his mother gave him on his wedding day. 

Scene 2. In the palace. Solomon, the Shulamite, and the 
ladies of the court: Solomon seeks to win the Shulamite's love 
(4:1-7). 

Scene 3. The Shulamite and the ladies of the court: The Shu- 
lamite and her lover in an interview: She hears, in imagination, 
her lover's impassioned invitation (8-15), gives him her reply (16) 
and seems to hear again her grateful response (5:1). 

Scene 4. The Shulamite's second dream: The Shulamite re- 
lates a dream of the past night, in which she had imagined herself 
to hear her shepherd-lover at the door, but upon rising to open 
to him, she had found him vanished, and sought him in vain through 
the city (2-7). The memory of the dream still haunts her, and 
impels her to make a fresh avowal of her love ( 8 ) . 

Act IV (5:9-8:4)- 

Scene 1. The ladies of the court and the Shulamite. Dialogue 
respecting the lover: The ladies of the court express their surprise 
at the Shulamite's persistent rejection of the king's advances and 
her devotion to her absent lover (9). The Shulamite answers with 
an enraptured description of her lover (10-16). Ladies of the court 
(6:1). The Shulamite (2-3). 

Scene 2. The king enters: Solomon makes renewed endeavor 
to win the Shulamite's affection by praise of her beauty, and descrip- 
tion of the honor in store for her (4-9). His memory passes back 
to the occasion of his first meeting with the Shulamite in the nut- 
orchard, and he repeats the words with which the ladies of the court 
then accosted her (10), together with her reply, in which she 
excuses herself for having wandered there alone, and allowed her- 
self be surprised by the king's retinue (11-12). He quotes the 
request which they then made to her to remain with them, with her 
reply, and their answer, that they desired to see her dance (all 
in 13). 

Scene 3. Solomon and the Shulamite: Solomon makes a final 
effort to gain the Shulamite's heart by praising her charms in terms 
of exceeding effusiveness, of Oriental richness and warmth (8:1-9). 

Scene 4. The Shulamite heedless of the king's admiration, 
declares her unswerving devotion to her shepherd-lover, and her 
longing to be with him again in the open fields (7:10-8:4). The 
rafrain (8:4) is her final repulse of the king. 

Act V (8:5-14). 

Scene 1. Shepherds — The Shulamite and her lover: 'shep- 
herds of Shulem speak when they see the Shulamite coming lean- 
ing on her lover's arm (5a). The Shulamite speaks of the time 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 43 



when she aroused her lover from his sleep under the apple tree, 
of the spot where he had first seen the light, of the irresistible 
might of true love (5b-7). She speaks to all present recalling 
words in which her brothers had planned formerly for her welfare 
and declaring that she has fulfilled her best expectations (8-12). 
She had been an impregnable fortress to Solomon's advances (10). 
The lover asks his love for a song (13). She invites him to join 
her over the hills. 

Comment : ' 

While it is true that much of the poetry is lyrical in char- 
acter, it will have been seen that the Song lends itself to dra- 
matic interpretation. There is dialogue, action, and character 
presentation, constituting a rudimentary kind of plot. There is not 
the chronological sequence nor the regular development of the ordi- 
nary drama; in fact in several passages the speakers acquaint the 
hearers with incidents of their previous lives by introducing pas- 
sages supposed to have been spoken before the drama opens. This 
is a somwhat unusual device; but any drama must have some de- 
vices more or less artificial. 

Some have thought that the poem is out of place in the Bible 
unless it is an allegory; but surely it is possible to teach lessons 
of beauty and righteousness without telling the reader over and 
over again that he must not forget the moral of the story. That 
story is worthy which presents well the moral forces of life. Here 
we have a story of the battle between love and ambition, and love 
is put first; it is made to come off victor; so pure love will always 
be triumphant over the allurements of vanity, splendor, and power. 
We are shown that genuine love is spontaneous; it can not be pur- 
chased. It cannot be quenched by many waters. Even King Solo- 
mon could not buy love; it is a gift of God himself and is therefore 
to be held sacred. 

Of the beautiful poetry of the Song Driver writes: 
"The poetry of the Song is exquisite. The movement is grace- 
ful and light; the imagery is beautiful, and singularly picturesque, 
the author revels among the delights of the country; one scene after 
another is brought before us — doves hiding in the clefts of the 
rocks or resting beside the water-brooks, gazelles leaping over the 
mountains or feeding among the lilies, goats reclining on the sloping 
hills of Gilead; trees with their varied foliage, flowers with bright 
hues or richly scented perfume are ever supplying the poet with 
fresh picture or comparison; we seem to walk, with the shepherd- 
lover himself, among the vineyards and fig-trees in the balmy air 
of spring, or to see the fragrant, choicely furnished garden which 
the charms of his betrothed called up before his imagination." 



44 BIBLE STUDY. 



THE BOOK OF JONAH. 

1. Its date and character : 

Although the book of Jonah stands in the Book of the Twelve 
Prophets, it does not contain prophecies, hut an anonymous narra- 
tive; the title does not mean that Jonah is the author, but the sub- 
ject of the book. It differs from Esther in that it is animated by a 
sympathy for the Gentiles, while Esther shows a bitter hostility 
toward them. The Jonah of the book is, doutbless, Jonah ben 
Amittai; who prophesied the deliverance of Israel by Jeroboam II. 
(2 Kings 14:23-27). The book is generally held to be post-exilic, 
possibly dating from 350 B. C. 

2. Controversy over it : 

The book df Jonah has had a most interesting history. It was 
derided by the pagan in the olden time as it is by the sceptic today. 
A hot debate has raged around it for centuries. This comes from 
magnifying non-essentials and missing essentials. It has been said 
of some readers "They pore over the whale and forget God." 

3. Three views of the book : 

(1). It is an imaginative story and not real history. 
(2). The whole story, including the incident of the whale, is 
symbolical. 

( 3 ) . The whole story is literally true history. 

4. Analysis of the story : 

( 1 ) . The call : Jonah receives a call to go to Nineveh to 
rebuke it for its wickedness. He refuses to go and takes ship at 
Joppa to flee to Tarshish. 

(2). The tempest: The sea rages. The sailors fear for their 
lives. The gods are angry and must be appeased. Jonah it is who 
has provoked them to send the storm. He is cast into the sea and 
there is a great calm. 

(3). The deliverance: A great fish swallows Jonah and after 
three days casts him forth upon the dry land uninjured. 

(4). The warning: Jonah goes about the city of Nineveh 
crying, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." The 
conscience of the people responds to the warning. A fast is pro- 
claimed. The king sits in ashes. The very cattle wear penitential 
sack cloth. God hears the cry for mercy and saves the city. 

(5). Jonah's anger: Jonah is pitiless, nay, very angry. He 
says that his mission has been a failure. He sits down outside the 
city to sulk. He is taught the lesson of pity by the incident of the 
gourd vine. He is asked as to the comparative value of the gourd 
vine and the six score thousand little ones of Nineveh. There is no 
answer to the question. If he is not convinced, he is silenced. 



LITERARY OUTLINES. 45 



The lessons : 

(1). Jehovah is the God of the whole world. 
(2). All God's threatenings of penalty are conditional. He 
is a gracious God, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. 

(3). God's mercy is wider than Israel. "There's a wideness 
in God's mercy Like the wideness of the sea." 

(4). The innocent little ones must not suffer for the sins of 
those who can discern their right hand from their left. 
(5). Love toward God means love toward men. 
(6). God's mercy and kindness extend, even to our humbler 
fellow creatures — the dumb brutes. 

"He prayeth best who loveth best 
All things both great and small, 
For the dear God who loveth us, 
He made and loveth all." 

THE EPIC STORY OF THE DESERT PROPHET. 

The setting of the story : 

The dynasty of Omri; the Phenecian alliance; the increase of 
luxury; the worship of Baal. 

Characters j 

Ahab, king of Israel; Jezebel, his wife, daughter of Ethbaal, 
king of the Sidonians;* Elijah, the Tishbite, from Gilead. 

His career : 

(1). The drought. (I Kings 17): The sudden appearance. 
The startling prophecy. Elijah at Cherith. The widow's cake. The 
widow's son. 

(2). The test of fire (18): The search for pasturage. Elijah 
and the faithful chamberlain. The challenge to the king. The 
test at Carmel. The slaughter of the Baal prophets. The coming 
of the rain. 

(3). The flight to Horeb (19): The vengeance of Jezebel. 
Under the desert shrub. In the cave at Horeb. The storm and the 
stillness. The comfort and the commission. The call of Elisha. 

(4). The avenging conscience (21): Naboth's vineyard. The 
plot of Jezebel. The triumph of the tyrant. Elijah's rebuke. The 
king's remorse. 

(5). The departure in the storm (2 Kings 2): Master and 
disciple. Premonition of the prophets. The testing of Elisha. The 
fire and the whirlwind. Th© mantle of Elijah. 

THE STORY OF THE PROPHET OF COMMON LIFE. 

Introduction : 

Each age needs a prophet to fit its conditions. The passion, 



46 BIBLE STUDY. 



intensity, fierceness, and volcanic energy of Elijah were .needed. 
But after the fire and the earthquake should come the still small 
voice; after fierce denunciation words of winning sympathy. Elisha 
was not a prophet of the desert, but one who lived among the people 
and inspired affection wherever he went. The world needs once in 
a while a man strong enough to excite terror, and then one in whom 
goodness and sweetness may work their charm. Elisha was a 
prophet whose deeds were gracious and soothing, who showed deep 
sympathy with the small wants and misfortunes of daily life. 

The cycle of Elisha's deeds : 

1. The call to the prophetic office (I Kings, 19:19-21). 

2. The parting from Elijah (II Kings 2:1-18). 

3. The healing of the waters (2:19-22). 

4. The mocking children (2:23-25). 

5. The water trenches and Moab (3:4-27). 

7. The Shunammite woman's kindness; her son restored to 
life (4:8-37). 

8. Death in the pot (4:38-41). 

9. The feeding of the hundred men (4:42-4). 

10. The healing of Naaman and the leprosy of Gehazi (5). 

11. The ax-head that swam (6:1-7). 

12. Elisha warns the king of Israel of the secret councils of 
the Syrian king. The expedition to arrest him (6:8-23). 

13. The siege of Samaria, Elisha's prophecy and its fulfill- 
ment (6:24-7:20). 

14. The Shunammite woman's estate (8:1-6). 

15. Benhadad's message to Elisha. The prophet reveals 
Hazael, the messenger, to himself (8:7-15). 

16. Elisha's sickness, king Joash's visit, and the test of the 
king's determination. Elisha's death. The man restored to life. 
(13:14-21). 



The Laws of Moses 



It must not be thought that what we call the laws of Moses 
form a homogenous body and proceeded at one time from one and 
the same legislative mind. These laws consist of successive strata 
of legal enactments, representing widely separated periods of time. 
They bear the name of "Moses" just as Hebrew poetry bears the 
name of "David," and Hebrew wisdom, the name of "Solomon." 
The narrative parts and the legal sections of Exodus, Leviticus, 
Numbers, and Deuteronomy, are so interwoven that it is very diffi- 
cult for the ordinary reader to get a clear idea of the Hebrew laws. 
Here follows an attempt to classify, in a brief statement, the laws 
set forth in the Pentateuch. 

The laws of Israel may best be classified under four heads: 
I. The Decalogue. II. The Book of the Covenant. Ill The Deuter- 
onomic Code. IV. The Priestly Code. 

These codes are not by any means independent of each other. 
They all have much in common in respect both to religion and civil 
life. Each one is a stratum of the successive layers of Hebrew leg- 
islation. A great deal of what is in them all goes back probably 
to very ancient times. Each code repeats the tradition with vari- 
ations or additions adapted to new circumstances. 

While all the codes have much .n common they have their dis- 
tinctive characteristics. 

The first one concerns itself about the great fundamentals only 
of religion and morality. The second one says there is but one God, 
but does not insist on a central sanctuary. It presents many laws 
concerning man's relations to man. The law "an eye for an eye" 
and a "tooth for a tooth," seems to be barbarous, but there was 
need of strong laws to protect the weak from the strong. In milder 
phrase such laws mean that for every wrong there must be adequate 
compensation. The third code is the Deuteronomic code. The name 
means "the law over again," the implied notion being that Moses 
before he died repeated in the hearing of the people the laws he 
had given them before. 

These laws formulated centuries after the time of the Book 
of the Covenant, according to the best authorities, are, in the main, 
only an expansion of the earlier code. But there is one great dif- 
ference. At the very head of the code stands a law curtailing the 
early freedom in worship, by commanding worship at a central 
sanctuary. There was an element of kindliness in the Book of the 
Covenant, but this has grown to much larger proportions in the 



48 BIBLE STUDY. 



Deuteronomic code and embraces a variety of particulars showing- 
distinct development in human feeling and conduct. 

The Priestly Code is the last of the successive layers of Hebrew 
law. Its great topics are priests, holy furniture, holy times, sacri- 
fices and rules for securing ceremonial cleanness. This code is pre- 
sented in three divisions: The Levitical code from Exodus; the Le- 
vitical code from Numbers; and the whole of the book of Leviticus. 

The Decalogue goes back to Moses himself ajxid is his supremely 
important personal contribution to the statute-book of Israel. The 
Book of the Covenant is doubtless older than the narrative parts of 
the Pentateuch; the Deuteronomic code dates from about the time 
of Josiah, 621 B. C: and the Priestly code is supposed to be the 
work of Ezra's time, 444 B. C. 

The Decalogue : 

The Decalogue forms the strong foundation of the whole legis- 
lative structure of the Bible. These Ten Commandments are found 
in the book of Exodus (20:2-17). They are repeated in Deuter- 
onomy (5:6-21). Although they are introduced here as a verbal 
quotation, they present several differences from the text of Exodus. 
The differences are greatest in the fourth, fifth and tenth command- 
ments. 

The Book of the Covenant : 

This is the body of laws found in Exodus 20:22-23:33. These 
laws comprise two elements, the "words" (or commands) and the 
judgments. They seem designed to regulate the life of a community 
living under simple conditions of society. They may be grouped as 
follows: (1) Prohibition of graven images and regulations for the 
construction of altars (22-26); (2) Regulations respecting Hebrew 
male and female slaves (21:2-11); (3) Capital offenses (12-17; (4) 
Injuries to life and limb (18-32); (5) Cases of danger caused by 
culpable negligence or theft (33-22:6); (6) Deposits, loans, and 
seduction (which is treated here, not as a moral • off ense, but as a 
wrong done the father, and demanding pecuniary compensation 
(7-17); (7) Miscellaneous religious and moral injunctions (18-31); 

(8) Veracity and equity in the administration of judgment (23:1-9) ; 

(9) Helping an enemy in his need (4-5); (10) The Sabbatical 
year, the Sabbath, the three annual pilgrimages, and sacrifice 
(10-19); (11) The concluding exhortation (20-33). 

It is evident from the many restrictions placed upon the arbi- 
trary action of the individual that the community for whose use this 
code was intended had made some progress in civilization; on the 
other hand such regulations as the "lex talionis" (21:23-25) show a 
relatively archaic condition. Just and equitable motives are in- 
sisted on (22:21-27), but religious institutions, it is evident, are 
still in a simple, undeveloped stage. 



THE LAWS OF MOSES. 49 



The Deuteronomic Code (Deut. 12-26). 

Chapters 12 to 26 of Deuteronomy are a code of laws to which 
5-11 form a hortatory introduction. These two great divisions of 
the book are very closeiy connected in style and sentiment and 
must belong to the same date. This code may be said to be a very 
much enlarged and very freely modified edition of the Book of the 
Covenant, in which the moral and humane element of the older 
code is more fuFy emphasized. This new edition of the Mosaic 
law-book is not merely a dry series of ordinances, the laws are con- 
stantly enforced by argument and exhortation. The leading char- 
acteristic, however, which distinguishes it from the Book of the 
Covenant, is its interest in ritual. The approximate date of this 
code is easily fixed by comparing it with the prophets of the eighth 
century and the reforms of Josiah. The prophets attack the cor- 
ruptions which this code forbids and the high places which it sup- 
presses. Their discourses imply that these abuses were not in for- 
mal opposition to any known ordinances. Josiah in his reforms 
did many things that this code demands, hence it is very generally 
held that the law-book found in the temple in the time of Josiah 
and in obedience to which he carried on his reforms, was either 
identical with this code or included it; and hence that this code 
was compiled some time between the preaching of Amos, Hosea 
and Isaiah and the time of Josiah, when it was discovered and 
published, that is, between 750 and 621 B. C. 

Chapters 6 to 11 are an introduction to the code, in the form 
of an address by Moses in the plains of Moab shortly before his 
death. The Israelites are urged to love Jehovah and to obey his 
will, especially as revealed in 12 to 26. 

Following is a brief synopsis of the laws of this code by 
chapters: 

12. Place of sacrifice; not to imitate Canaanite rites. 

13. Seduction to idolatry. 

14. Disfigurement in mourning; clean and unclean animals; 
food improperly killed; not seethe a kid in its mother's milk; tithes, 

15. Year of release; Hebrew slaves; firstlings of ox and sheep. 
16 The three annual pilgrimages; appointment of judges; 

just judgment; erection of Asherahs and "pillars" prohibited. 

17. Sacrifices to be without blemish; idoatry, especially wor- 
ship of the host of heaven; supreme tribunal; law of the king. 

18. Rights and revenues of the tribe of Levi; law of the 
prophet; Molech worship; different kinds of divination. 

19. Asylums for manslaughter: murder; the landmark; the 
law of witnesses. 

20. Military service and war. 

21. Expiation of untraced murder; treatment of female cap- 
tives; primogeniture; undutiful son; body of malefactor. 



50 BIBLE STUDY. 



22. Animals straying or fallen; sexes not to interchange gar- 
ments; bird's nest; batt ement; against non-natural mixtures; law 
of "tassels"; slander against maiden; adultery; seduction; incest 
with step-mother 

22. Conditions of admittance into the theocratic community; 
cleanliness in the camp; humanity to escaped slave; against relig- 
ious prostitution; usury; vows; regard for neighbor's crops. 

24. Divorce; pledges; man-stealing; leprosy; justice toward 
hired servants; the family of a criminal not to suffer with him; jus- 
tice toward stranger, widow, and orphan; gleanings. 

25. Moderation in the infliction of the bastinado; ox not to 
be muzzled while threshing; law of levirate; modesty; just weights; 
Amalek. 

26. Thanksgiving at the offering of first fruits; thanksgiving 
at tho offering of triennial tithes. 

The Priestly Code : 

This code concerns itself mostly about matters of ritual. This 
does not mean that the men of Ezra's time did not care for the 
fundamentals. They did, but they thought that the times demanded 
stress on ritual. "One God," said Moses; "One sanctuary," said the 
reformers of Josiah's time; "One carefully regulated system of 
worship at one sanctuary," said Ezra and his coadjutors. 

The first division of this code is found in the book of Exodus, 
2 5-31:18, and consists of instructions given to Moses respect'ng the 
tabernacle and the priesthood. There are three divisions, as follows: 

1. (Ex 25-29): (1) The vesse's of the sanctuary (25). 
(2). The tabernacle designed to guard and protect these 

vessels (26). 

(3). The court round the tabernacle containing the altar of 
the daily burnt offering (27). 

(4). The dress (28) and consecration (29) of the priests who 
are to serve in the sanctuary. 

<5). The daily burnt offering, the maintainance of which is 
a primary duty of the priesthood (29:38-42). 

(6> The close of the body of instructions, in which Jehovah 
promises to bless the sanctuary with his presence. 

2. (Ex. 30-31): (1) The altar of incense (1-10). 
(2). The maintenance of public service (11-16). 
(3). The brazen laver (17-21). 

(4). The holy anionting oil (22-33). 

(5). The incense (34-38). 

(6). The nomination of Beza'eel and Oholiab (31:1-11). 

(7). The observance of the Sabbath (12-17). 

3. (Ex. 35-40): These chapters form the sequel to chapters 
25-31, narrating the execution of the instructions there communi- 
cated to Moses. 



THE LAWS OF MOSES. 51 



The second division of the code is found in the book of Num- 
bers and may be analyzed as follows: 

1. Census and service of the Levites (Num. 3-4): The Le- 
vites to assist the priests in lieu of the first-born, their numbers, 
their position in the camp and their duties. 

2. Laws on sundry subjects (Num. 5-6): (1) Exclusion of the 
leprous and unclean from the camp. 

(2). The officiating priest to receive compensation for fraud 
in certain cases. 

(3). The law of ordeal for the woman suspected of unfaith- 
fulness. 

(4). The law of the Nazarite (6). 

(5). The form of priestly benediction. 

3. The offerings of the twelve princes of the tribes at the 
consecration of the tent of meeting, and the altar (7). 

4. Ritual of priestly service (8): (1) Instructions for fixing 
the lamps upon golden candlesticks. 

(2). The consecration of the Levites to their duties. 
(3). The period of the Levites' service. 

5. Ordinance of the supplementary Passover (9). 

6. (1) Sundry laws of offerings (9). 

(2). The punishment of a Sabbath-breaker. 
(3). The law of "tassels". 

7. (1) Duties and relative position of priests and Levites (18). 
(2). The revenues of the priests defined. 

(3). The tithe to be paid by the people to the Levites; and 
the Levites to pay a tithe of this to the priests. 

8. Ritual of the heifer of purification (19). 

9! The law of the inheritance of daughters (18:1-11). 

10. A calendar of sacred rites, defining the public sacrifices 
suitable for each season. The burnt-offering; the new moons; the 
Passover; the day of first-fruits; the feast of weeks; New Year's 
day; day of atonement; seven days of the feast of the booths 
(28-29). 

11. The law of vows (Num. 30). 

12. Law of the marriage of heiresses (Num. 36). 

The book of Leviticus constitutes the third part of the Priestly 
Code, and may be outlined briefly as follows: 

1. The fundamental laws of sacrifice, purification and atone- 
ment (1-16). 

(1). Law of the five principal types of sacrifice; the burnt- 
offering (1); the meal-offering (2); the peace-offering (3); the 
sin-offering (4-5:13; the guilt-offering (5:14-6:7). 

(2). A manual of priestly directions giving the regulations 
to be observed in sacrificing each of the offerings (6:8-7). 



52 BIBLE STUDY. 



(3). The consecration of the priests, and their solemn entry 
upon office (8-10). 

(4). Laws of purification and atonement Clean and unclean 
animals; purification after child-birth; leprosy; purification of 
women; ceremonial of the day of atonement (11-16). 

2 The law of holiness (chs. 17-2 6). 

(1). Laws concerning the slaying of animals for food, and 
for sacrifice (17). 

(2). Unlawful marriages and unchastity; and Molech 
worship (18). 

(3). Miscellaneous laws with prominent ethical element (19). 

(4). Penalties for many special offenses among which are 
consultation of ghosts, and harboring a familiar spirit (20). 

(5). Regulations concerning pr.ests and offerings (21-22). 

(6). A calendar of sacred seasons (23). 

(7). The lamps of the tabernacle, shewbread, blasphemy, 
etc. (24). 

(8). The Sabbatical year, the year of Jubilee, the redemption 
of lands, of houses, usury, servitude, etc. (25). 

(9). Prohibition of idolatry, observance of the Sabbath, hor- 
tatory conclusion of the preceding code. 

3. On the commutation of vows and tithes (27). 



Old Testament Literature 



The following brief outlines present the subjects and 
main subordinate topics of a course of lectures given by the 
author as a part of the work of the English Department of 
West Virginia University, in the University Summer 
School, 1908: 

Lecture 1. Tire Books of the Old Testament, 
j. The natural and supernatural history of the Bible. 

2. The slow growth of the books. 

3. Ancient materials. 
4 Lost books. 

5. Names, meaning and history — Bible, Testament, Apocrypha, Pen- 
tateuch, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 
Kings, Samuel, etc. 

G. Number and order of books. 

Lecture II. Ancient Versions and Manuscripts. 
1 Four chief ancient versions — Septuagint, Syriac, Old Latin, and 
Latin Vulgate. 

2. The Septuagint — originated in Alexandria, Egypt, about 275 B. C. ; 

circumstances of its origin and legends about it; its history and 
influence. 

3. The Syriac Peshito; the oldest version made by Christians. 

4. The Old Latin or Itala; its origin, history, and influence. 

5. The Latin Vulgate; Translated by Jerome, 405 A. D.; Old Testa- 

ment translated from Hebrew; struggle for recognition; version 
of the Roman church today. 

6. The Targums; translations, paraphrases, or interpretations of the 

Bible written in Aramaic; their origin and character. 

7. The Talmud; a large collection of writings containing a full ac- 

count of the civil and religious laws of the Jews; two parts — 
The Mishna, and The.Gemara; the schism because of the com- 
mitting of the Mishna to writing. 

8. Ancient manuscripts; their number and age; the four most import- 

ant ones: The Vatican, The Alexandrian, The Ephraem, and 
The Sinaitic; the history and character of each. 



54 BIBLE STUDY. 



Lecture III. The English Versions. 



English versions a growth; Caedmon a pioneer translator; the Vener- 
able Bede's work; Alfred the Great as a translator; the first 
great translation, Wycliffe's, 1383; the greatest translator, Tyn- 
dale (1483-1536): Tyndale's New Testament. 1526: his Penta- 
teuch, 1530; Geneva New Testament, 1557; Geneva Bible, 1560; 
the Great Bible, 1540; Douay Bible. 1609; Authorized Version, 
1611; Revised Version, 1881-85; qualities of the Authorized and 
the Revised; the origin and use of verse and chapter divisions. 

Lecture IV" The Study of the Bible as Literature. 

1. Adam Bede on Apocrypha; the Bible no fetish, nor dull reading; 

its great variety. 

2. A close and critical study of the Bible will make its message 

clearer; a reader should make use of all his trained powers of 
interpreting literature; of all his culture, of all his secular 
knowledge, of all his best methods of getting at the force and 
meaning of language. 

3. It is a great store-house of good English; all modern literature is 

saturated with it; it has given thought, feeling, and form to 
much of our English literature. 

4. Its study is important because in our every-day speech and in our 

secular literature there are drawn from the Bible, multitudes 
of words and phrases whose meaning and force can be under- 
stood only by those who are familiar with the original sources. 

5. It is profitable and cultivating to study it because in it are found 

the best examples and forms of literature; faultless rhetoric 
expressing tenderness and devotion, pathos, eloquence, practical 
wisdom, sublimity; the devotion of Ruth; the grief of David; 
the glowing eloquence of Isaiah; the terse sayings of Solomon; 
the sublimity of the Psalms. 

Lecture V. Method of Study. 

1. It is not irreverent to study the Bible as we study secular literature. 

2. The usual method of study — verse and chapter as units. 

3. The evil of verse and chapter divisions. 

4. The Bible used too much like a dictionary of religion; secular mas- 

terpieces studied as units. 

5. The books of the Bible great wholes, with a beginning, a middle 

and an end. 

6. Illustration of study of books as units; Canticles, Esther, Ruth, 

Judges, Revelations. Job. 

7. Advantages of close study of literary form; illustrations: The 

Lord's Prayer, Psalm VIII; peroration of the Sermon on the 
Mount, Psalm XXIV. 



OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE. 55 



Lecture VI. The Bible as a Masterpiece of Literature. 

1. Popular ignorance of the Bible; the Mohammedan's familiarity 

with the Koran; the Bible made unattractive to children. 

2. Critical study of the Bible not irreverent; the destructive botanist; 

reverence for the Koran; primary purpose of the Bible. 

3. Wrong methods of study. 

4. Rich variety of the thirty-nine books; period of composition; 

extent of their appeal; Palestine an epitome of the world; its 
imagery, pastoral, of the sea, of the East, of the North; unity 
and variety. 

5. Diversity of form; biographies, love stories, war annals, law liter- 

ature, genealogical tables, fiction, poetry. 

6. Unconscious greatness of the writers; example of Homer and 

Shakespeare; comparison of Demosthenes and Paul, Pindar and 
Isaiah, Horace and David, Gibbon and John. 
7 Humor in the Bible; the sarcasm of Elijah; girding at the doc- 
tors; woman's gift of speech. 

8. Illustrations of excellence in thought, imagination, beauty, form, 

feeling and force: A philosophy of life, I Corin. XIII; Ruth's 
words in the style of Homer; Thucydides' harangue of Brasidas 
and Gideon's speech to his men; the balcony scene in Canticles. 

9. A literature of power; the value of literature determined by its 

message; eulogy by Theodore Parker. 

Lecture VII. Educational value of Bible Literature. 

1. Proper materials to put into school courses; education an expan- 

sion of life of child; spiritual forces needed in education; the 
concentrated human spirit; material that is of most worth. 

2. Material that will develop "souls of a good quality;" higher educa- 

tion seems to seek "these other things;" bread and butter 
courses; Dr. Johnson's sentence on a worthless life; more ma- 
terial that appeals to the spirit; conservation of spiritual forces. 

3. Since education is the giving and assimilation of life, this is the 

greatest of all text books; richest materials; man's soul history; 
materials for the growth and development of life. 
The Bible has supreme educational value because: 

4. It emphasies the value of human life. It teaches that even a slave 

has two worlds in his heart. 

5. It deals with the practical concerns of life. It teaches that the 

most important thing in life is conduct, and back of it, motive. 
It teaches by precept and example; precepts plain and sane; 
examples of lives crowned with practical activities. 

6. There is material for the development of the aesthetic side of life; 

there are beauty and grace of truth presented in beauty and 
grace of form; a constant appeal is made to the noblest and 
best; there are materials for the most refined taste. 



56 BIBLE STUDY. 



7. Highest ideals of national life; the ideal is justice and not power; 

peace and not war, however glorious; every man contented and 
secure under his own vine and fig tree; free speech and free 
education; humane laws; the poor protected from the encroach- 
ments of the rich; the kindest charity. 

8. Ideals for the individual. Lofty origin; magnificent courage; 

breadth of soul; joy and peace; a hope that reaches beyond the 
shadow of the grave. 

Lecture VIII. The Stories of Genesis. 

1. Need of stories in the mental development of the child. 

2. Children's stories must be full of wonder; these Genesis stories 

answer to this: A marvelous creation, a wonderful garden, a 
great flood and a giant ship, a glorious rainbow, a lofty tower, 
fire from heaven and smoking cities, the fascinating stories of 
the lives of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph. 

3. There must be an appeal to the imagination. In these stories 

heaven is always close at hand, the messengers of God pass 
familiarly between the earth and the near sky; there is always 
an appeal by image and metaphor. 

4. There must be an atmosphere of freshness and vigor. Here is 

freshness of feeling; here are images that appeal most strongly 
and vividly to the mind; "trees of God,'" the great trees; the 
thunder is "the voice of God;" it is all near and clear. 

5. The feeling presented must be somewhat primitive, not over- 

refined, not artificial, not passionate; these stories are simple 
and natural; there is not the rapture of the lover nor the 
wildness of passion. 

G.There must be even a little ferocity. The child passes through a 
brief savage period, so there is need of the ogre and of Jack 
the Giant Killer; you can not leave out entirely the hoof and 
nail and claw; these stories tell of two forces in conflict, of 
the divine nature at work on the lower. 

7. There must be a moving plot. In these stories something is al- 
ways happening; there are thrilling narratives and most excit- 
ing experiences. 

8 There is no need to simplify for children the really great stories. 
The Bible stories need little interpretation; the grand, quaint, 
old-fashioned simplicity of the Bible language will carry its 
own message and spirit. 

9. Children's stories should always contain an ethical element. 

These stories furnish good "dream stuff" and ethical material 
as well; they stimulate the imagination, the aesthetic sense and 
the conscience. 



OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE. 57 



Lecture IX. Stories of Genesis Continued. 

1. The Story of Creation; a great poem; The Song of God and the 

Universe; not so much a revelation of fact as a revelation of 
spiritual truth; its purpose is not to teach science but religious 
truth; the science here is incidental, the doctrine eternal. 

2. Paradise and the Fall. Real title, The Story of Man's Separation 

from God; the most serious problem in the universe. The 



(a). There is a period of innocence for all of us; (b) guilt makes 
us afraid; (c) guilt means separation; (d) then come shame 
and the search for clothing; (e) punishment and the curse. 

3. Cain and Abel. The Story of Self-Control; the refusal of Cain's 

offering not important; "sin crouch eth at the door;" Cain re- 
fuses to control himself; he is banished from God's presence; 
his plea; the merciful concession; Cain's wife; the mark; "Am 
I my brother's keeper?" 

4. The four great patriarchs. Abraham, the pioneer; the greatness 

of the pioneer; the multitude of his followers today; the Pil- 
grim's progress; a man of peace; a man of war; "Lot also." 

5. Isaac lived in a tame time; quiet growth under Isaac; the opener 

of wells; the man of non-resistance; the greatness of Isaac. 

6. Jacob the Supplanter; a man of ability, but a trickster; a most 

interesting career; no need of the fraud; Esau's unfitness; Ja- 
cob a born leader although a man of guile; Jacob attended by 
the divine presence always. 

7. The Story of Joseph; a story of perennial interest; the story ap- 

peals to all because (a) of its humanness; (b) of its natural- 
ness; (c) because the best comes out of the worst; (d) and 
because Joseph is always looking to see good come out of evil; 
a bad beginning; Joseph something of a prig; the blessings 
of separation; hardships necessary to the development of sur- 
passing strength. 

Lecture X. The Book of Judges. See outline, page J. 
Lecture XL The Book of Ruth. See outline, page 35. 
Lecture XII. The Book of Esther. See outline, page 36. 
Lecture XIII. The Song of Songs. See outline, page 40. 
Lectures XIV, XV, XVI. The Book of Job. See outline, 

page 26. 
Lecture XVII. The Desert Prophet. See outline, page 45. 
Lecture XVIII. The Prophet of Common Life. See outline. 

page 45. 
Lecture XIX. The Book of Jonah. See outline, page 44. 
Lectures XX and XXI. The Poetry of the Bible. 



58 BIBLE STUDY. 



1. Divisions of Bible poetry: (a) Scattered pieces of lyric poetry; 

(b) Job, an epic drama; (c) Tbe Song of Sons; (d) Bccle- 
siastes; (e) The Psalms, tbe Hebrew Hymnal; (f) Tbe Book 
of Proverbs. 

2. Scattered lyrics: the song of creation; the sword-song of Lamech; 

the blessing of Jacob; the ode of the Red Sea; the vision of 
Balaam; the blessings of Moses and his song of prophecy; the 
ode of Deborah; the hymn of Hannah; the dirges of David 
over Saul and Jonathan, and over Abner. 

3. The Book of Job; a drama in an epic setting; treated more fully 

in another lecture. 

4. The Song of Songs; a poem variously interpreted, by some as a 

suite of love idyls, by others as a love drama; treated more 
fully in another lecture. 

5. Ecclesiastes; the most difficult book in the Old Testament; classed 

among the books of wisdom literature; a sort of biblical "Two 
Voices;" sets forth a battle in the soul between scepticism and 
faith; distributing the material presents greatest difficulty in 
interpretation; to one who can not divide between its agnosti- 
cism and its faith, the book is a dark puzzle. 
6 The Book of Psalms consists of 150 lyrics of devotion, divided 
into five parts, each closing with a doxology; the Psalms 
which close the divisions are 41, 72, 89, 106, 150. 

7. The Book of Proverbs is a book of maxims and precepts; has no 

equal anywhere in literature; there are among them maxims 
which outshine the best ethical precepts of Greece, Rome, 
Egypt, India, or China. 

8. Form of Hebrew poetry. In form Hebrew poetry differs greatly 

from English poetry; rhythm is its fundamental element and 
parallelism of thought and phrase its plainest characteristic; 
the ultimate unit consists of two lines or members embodying 
two answering thoughts; most common forms of parallelism 
are: synonymous, antithetic, and synthetic. 

9. Characteristics of Bible poetry: (a) cosmopolitan spirit; (b) full 

of imaginative power; (c) sublimity is frequent; (d) the 
grace of simplicity; (e) appreciation of nature; (f) intense 
theism; (g) rich variety. 

10. Interpretation of poems: 

(a) David's lament over Saul and Jonathan; a dirge, simple, 

natural, and of deep feeling. 

(b) Psalm XXIV; a processional song, celebrating the bringing 

of the ark to Jerusalem. 

(c) Psalm XIX; the law of the outer world and of the inner life. 

(d) Psalm XXIX; a vivid and realistic description of a thunder 
storm — all looked upon as the voice and direct work of 

Jehovah. 



OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE 59 



(e) Psalm XXIII; a song matchless in its simplicity, elegance, 
directness, and feeling — a sweet song of loving trust. 

Lecture XXII. The Apocrypha. 

The word "Apocrypha" means "hidden" or "secret"; of these there are 
fourteen books and parts of books (cf. Introduction, page xvi). 

1. Esdras 1 ; made up mainly of extracts from 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and 

Xehemiah; its original part is a legend of a trial of wisdom in 
debate between Zerubbabel and two other young men before 
Darius, king of Persia. 

2. Esdras 2; apocalyptic literature, the message being in the form 

of visions; these visions appear to Ezra through the angel 
Uriel in the 30th year after the destruction of the city of 
Jerusalem by the Chaldees. 

3. The Book of Tobit; it contains a narrative of the piety, misfor- 

tunes, and final prosperity of Tobit, an exile in Assyria. 

4. The Book of Judith; it relates the exploits of Judith, a Jewish 

widow distinguished alike for her beauty, courage and devotion 
to her country. She killed Holofernes, general to Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and freed Bethulia in Judea. 

5. Additions to the Book of Esther; these consist of six chapters 

and nine additional verses to chapter 10. 
0. The wisdom of Solomon; Solomon being to the ancient Hebrews the 
representative of all wisdom, the author of this book personates 
Solomon and speaks in his name. 

7. Ecclesiasticus; the Greek title is "The Wisdom of Sirach;" it is 

a copious book, rich in its contents, embracing the whole domain 
of practical wisdom. 

8. Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremiah; this book is formed after 

the model of Jeremiah, and is ascribed to his friend Baruch. 

9. Additions to the Book of Daniel; the Song of the Three Holy 

Children in the Fiery Furnace; the History of Susanna; and the 
Story of Bel and the Dragon. 

10. The Prayer of Manasses; this is given as a prayer by Manasses, 

king of Judah when he was a captive in Babylon. 

11. Maccabees 1; this book contains a narrative of the long and 

bloody struggle of the Jews under their Maccabean leaders 
against their Assyrian oppressors. 

12. Maccabees 2; this book opens with two letters purporting to have 

been written by the Jews of Palestine to their brethren in 
Egypt. To these letters is appended an epitome of the five 
books of Jason of Cyrene, containing the history of the Macca- 
bean struggle from about 180 B. C. to 1G1 B. C. 



60 BIBLE STUDY. 



Lecture XXIII. Old Testament Stories. 

1. Story telling is the method of teaching hest suited to childhood. 

There are no stories comparable in pedagogic value to these 
Bible stories. Their ethical content is as valuable as their lit- 
erary qualities. They should have a place in secular as well 
as in religious education. 

2. The Master Teacher's use of stories; a story to define a word 

(Luke X) ; to teach the results of heedlessness and of service 
(Matt. VII: 24). 

3. Similar method in Old Testament: Jotham's fable (Judges lX-7ff) : 

Nathan's parable (2 Sam'l XII :1 ff ) ; the prophet's story to 
Ahab (1 Kings XX: 35 ff). 

4. Tbe offering of Isaac: a story of singular vividness, interest and 

dramatic power. 

5. Stories of the captives in Babylon (Dan. III-VI) : (a) the burn- 

ing fiery furnace; (b) the dream of the tree that was cut 
down; (c) Belshazzar's feast; (d) Daniel in the den of lions. 

Lecture XXIV. The Bible a Literature of Power. 

1. Power of a great book; of the greatest of all books. 

2. The five transformations: (a) The finding of the Book in the old 

temple; (b) Reading of the Book to the returned captives: 
(c) The early years of the Gospel; (d) The Reformation of 
the early 16th century; (ei The Methodist Reformation in 
England. 

3. Pagan triumph under Manasses (697-641); Josiah comes to the 

throne (63-9); orders temple repaired; workmen find book of 
the law; great reforms instituted (2 Kings XXII-XXIII). 
4 The return from captivity (444); Nehemiah rebuilds the walls 
of Jerusalem; erects a pulpit of wood in the street and from it 
the law is read to the people for seven days; the power of the 
book interests, awakens, transforms the multitudes. 

5. The beginning of the Christian era; The world is in spiritual 

darkness; a great teacher comes declaring that his mission is 
to call the world back to the simple truths of the old Book: 
his apostles went about preaching this old Book and the words 
added to it. and in four centuries the pagan priesthood, temple. 
and philosophy had gone down before its simple message. 

6. The early 16th century: once more had tradition woven a dark- 

ening web over the Book: Luther, an obscure monk, found a 
copy of this great Book; it transforms him and with magnifi- 
cent courage he set out to transform the world. 

7. The age of Deism in England, early in middle 18th century; Eng- 

lish clergy idle and lifeless; Deism in the pales of the church; 



OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE. 61 



at Oxford University three young men formed a band; looked 
upon with scorn; but they went out and unsealed this Book 
and there came a new moral enthusiasm, a new philanthropy, 
clemency and wisdom in the penal laws, abolition of the slave 
trade, and the first impulse to popular education. 

Transforming and comforting power for individual lives: St. Paul 
on the Damascus road and in the Mammertine prison; Savan- 
arola in his prison; two Scottish women; two Scotchmen 
of 1779. 

Its truth is everlasting and its message gives joy in the midst of 
sorrow. 



Errata 



There are so many typographical errors in the outlines 
from page I to page 52 that an attempt to list them would 
take too much space : only such errors as might affect the 
meaning are referred to in the following "errata." The cor- 
rect form is given in each case. 

Page 3. Line 29. "Moab, the land of Lot's descendants, east of 
the dead Sea (Num. 21:13).'' 

Page 8, Line 23, "eighty." 

Page 12, Lines 22 and 29, "'Abimelech." 

Page 14, Line 26, "Shimei." 

Page 36, Line 12, "threshing-floor." 

Page 37, Line 5, "pusillanimous." 
Line 20, "trouble." 

Page 38, Line 3, "(8-15)." 

Page 42, Line 37. "(7:1-9)." 






